Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

Copywriting and self-care?  In this episode Arianna Smith, licensed professional counselor (LPC) and copywriting coach for therapists explains exactly what copywriting involves, its appeal to her personally, and how it relates to self-care for therapists in both public and private practice settings.  Arianna also shares how the pandemic contributed to her own burnout and the steps she took to plan her 2-month sabbatical.  She offers some suggestions for therapists who are interested in attracting more of their ideal clients or are looking for ways to infuse more creativity into their work.  We end this episode with all 3 of us sharing some of our best “non-conventional” self-care practices.  Highlights:What led Arianna to include copywriting services in her practiceHow the right “copy” can help us attract our ideal clientsHow copywriting is relevant for therapists working in both public and private settingsSome initial steps therapists can take to infuse some creativity into their practices or to start attracting more of their ideal clientsThe steps Arianna took to set up her sabbaticalArianna’s favorite “non-conventional” self-care practice (and some of ours!)Therapist by day, copywriter by night, Arianna Smith, LPC (she/her) helps therapists write words that sound like them and attract their ideal clients. Her mission is to help therapists shatter their creative blocks and write words brimming with punch + personality.Connect with Arianna:www.thecopycove.comarianna@thecopycove.comwww.facebook.com/thecopycoveDownload Arianna's free guide “Banish Bad Copy: 5 Copywriting Hacks for Private Practice Success!” for a no-nonsense approach to uplevel your copy.Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:intentional@intentionaltherapist.cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapistDisclaimer: This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

Can rest and success actually co-exist in the lives of female mental health clinicians?  Indeed they can!  In this episode we speak with Maegan Megginson, about her own experiences with burnout and how this ultimately led her to developing the Rest and Success Code.  Maegan talks about how deep rest is an integral component of our success as therapists, some of the biggest barriers to adopting a less pressured approach to our work, and what we can start doing today to adopt a less pressured, more fulfilling approach to our work. Highlights:What lead Maegan to develop the Rest and Success CodeHow the messages from capitalism, the patriarchy, and graduate school get in the way of female therapists adopting a less pressured approach to their workSigns that tell Maegan it’s time to include more rest in her practiceExamples of ways to bring more rest into our work The difference between rest and deep restMaegan’s favorite “non-conventional” self-care practiceMaegan Megginson is a sex therapist turned business coach on a mission to help successful entrepreneurs fall madly in love with their businesses. After years of struggling with overwhelm and burnout, Maegan finally figured out how to leverage her introverted and highly sensitive strengths to create two businesses she loves. She believes the key to happiness is to design your business to serve you first and your clients second – only then will you discover how to become deeply rested and wildly successful. Connect with Maegan:www.maeganmegginson.comConnect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:intentional@intentionaltherapist.cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapistDisclaimer: This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

April Snow, a licensed psychotherapist and author specializing in Highly Sensitive Introverts, shares her journey as a Highly Sensitive Therapist. She discusses the unique challenges faced by sensitive therapists and emphasizes the importance of personalizing therapy practices. April dispels common misconceptions about sensitivity and provides practical self-care strategies to combat burnout. She advocates for a supportive community and encourages therapists to embrace their uniqueness as strengths in their practice.

Most therapists likely wouldn’t include “documentation” in their list of self-care activities but the reality is many of us struggle with documentation, whether that be writing progress notes or reports.  If you’ve ever gotten behind in your documentation or struggled to know what to include then you know firsthand how overwhelming this can feel and the impact this can have on our perception of ourselves as therapists and on our overall well-being.  In this episode we speak with the founder of QA Prep, Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey (who you might also know as Dr. Maelisa Hall) about how documentation fits into self-care, some of the factors that contribute to therapists’ struggles with documentation, and what we can start doing today in order to start feeling more on-top of our documentation.   Episode highlights:What led Maelisa to create QA PrepHow staying on top of our documentation fits into self-careFactors that contribute to clinicians’ struggles with documentationSome warning signs that we need to change our approach to documentationOne step you can take today to start getting on top of your documentationMaelisa’s best non-conventional self-care practiceDr. Maelisa McCaffrey is a licensed psychologist, nail design enthusiast, and multi-passionate entrepreneur. With her business QA Prep, she empowers therapists through trainings and consultation on clinical documentation. Maelisa focuses on the “why” behind the usual recommendations and encourages clinicians to think outside the box, while also keeping their ethics intact. As someone with ADHD who’s had to figure out what works through trial and error, Maelisa aims to make sure her trainings are practical, while also allowing for plenty of laughter and fun.Connect with Maelisa:https://www.qaprep.com/ https://www.instagram.com/maelisamccaffrey/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maelisa-mccaffrey/  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCytXRIFI17MtbmTh5QTJhsg Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:intentional@intentionaltherapist.cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapistDisclaimer: This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

Let’s face it:  self-care is a journey.  And like any journey, we’re bound to run into unexpected roadblocks and detours that are beyond our control (think pandemic, home schooling, client crises, etc.).  Fortunately, we all have a built-in global positioning system (GPS) called values, that can help us navigate our journey, even in the face of roadblocks and detours.  It can help keep us moving in the right direction, even if that might mean taking a slightly different path than we had initially planned. In this episode, clinical psychologist and author, Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley, shares how her values have shaped the work she does and offers her perspective on some of the unique self-care, or 're-charging', challenges facing healthcare providers, the impact of the pandemic, and some easy ways we can start incorporating value-driven action into our own self-care.   Episode highlights:What led Dr. Lee-Baggley to leave her hospital position after 15 yearsHow the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework can fit into self-careFactors that make it hard for healthcare providers to take care of themselves How the pandemic (or “apocalypse”) has impacted usAn easy way to start incorporating value-driven action into our livesDr. Dayna Lee-Baggley is a Registered Clinical Psychologist in BC, AB, ON and NS. She is the director of Dr. Lee-Baggley and Associates, a virtual health psychology clinic specializing in clinical interventions, training for healthcare providers, and research in health-related issues. She worked for almost 15 years in multidisciplinary teams on medical, surgical and cancer care hospital units providing assessment, therapy and consultation for patients with chronic and life-threatening health conditions. She also conducts research as an Assistant Professor at Dalhousie University and has an Adjunct Professor appointment at Saint Mary’s University. She has an active research program on behavior change, obesity, chronic disease, professional resiliency and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She is a senior consultant providing healthy workplace interventions for employees, teams, and leaders. She is an internationally recognized trainer in ACT and a certified therapist in Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples. She was the recipient of the 2017 Women of Excellence Award for her contributions to Health, Sport and Wellness (Canadian Progress Club Halifax Cornwallis). She is the author of the book “Healthy Habits Suck: How to get off the couch & live a healthy life…even if you don’t want to.”Connect with Dayna:http://drleebaggley.com https://twitter.com/DrLeeBaggleyhttps://www.facebook.com/drleebaggley https://www.instagram.com/drleebaggleyConnect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:intentional@intentionaltherapist.cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapistDisclaimer: This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

With all the heaviness and responsibility that often comes with our work - especially throughout the pandemic - it’s easy to lose touch with the more playful and creative side of ourselves.  Yet the reality is, these are foundational to our existence as human beings (yes, even adult human beings) and can actually help us build complex, skilled, responsive, socially adept and flexible brains.  Which, in turn, build complex, skilled responses, socially adept and flexible people and societies.  Sounds pretty good hey? In this episode we speak with Dr. Jo Eckler about their awesome books (with some of our favourite titles!) and get their perspective on how creativity fits into self-care and some warning signs that we need to infuse more creativity into our lives.  We also get some great ideas about how to start bringing more creativity and play into our work and personal lives - including a pretty fun way to add a new 'client' to our caseloads!Episode highlights:What led Dr. Jo to write their book on therapist self-careHow creativity fits into self-careFactors that make it hard for clinicians to bring creativity and play into our livesSome simple steps to start bringing more creativity and play into our livesDr. Jo’s best “non-conventional” self-care practiceDr. Jo Eckler is a licensed clinical psychologist with nearly two decades of experience helping people learn ways to cope with emotions and build more meaningful lives.  They've worked in community mental health, university counselling centers, multiple Veterans Affairs hospitals, nursing homes, and now private practice.  Since they're a recovering overachiever, Dr. Jo's also an author, a coach, a registered yoga teacher, and is trained as a death & mourning doula.  The author of I Can't Fix You-Because You're Not Broken: The Eight Keys to Freeing Yourself From Painful Thoughts and Feelings and You Can't Fix Them--Because They're Not Broken: A Sustainability Guide for Tired Helpers and Healers, they've also appeared in numerous media outlets, including O Magazine, Health, Bustle, and Huffington Post.  When not working, Dr. Jo is likely watching the Great British Baking Show, playing with their dachshund and polydactyl cat, or down an internet rabbit hole learning about something new.Connect with Jo:https://www.drjoeckler.com Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:intentional@intentionaltherapist.cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapistDisclaimer: This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

Finances and self-care?  Yep, that’s right!  Although not typically considered part of traditional self-care, money and finances figure prominently in our fresh take on self-care for female mental health clinicians.  In this episode we speak with Linzy Bonham, MSW, RSW, founder of Money Nuts & Bolts, about the important role finances and money play in self-care, some of the warning signs that we might need some assistance with money related issues, and what we can do to start feeling more on top of our finances. Episode highlights:  What led Linzy to create her signature course, Money Skills for Therapists How money skills fit into self-care Factors that contribute to unique money related issues for female therapists Steps you can take today to start feeling more on top of your finances Linzy’s best “non-conventional” self-care practice Linzy Bonham is a therapist in private practice, a consultant who helps therapists feel calm and in control of their finances, and the creator of the Money Skills for Therapists course. As the daughter of an accountant, Linzy inherited a good dose of bookkeeping brain. She's like half therapist, half bookkeeper. So when she went into private practice, she dug right into all the ways to build a healthy business that pays for her life and always has extra money in the bank. Now Linzy helps therapists develop peace of mind about their money. Since so many of us were never taught about money, she focuses on the 'how' of making the financial side of private practice doable, and even super satisfying - feeling competent and calm about your money is pretty swell! Resources:  Free Mini-Training: The Secret to Getting Unstuck in Your Business Finances:  https://moneynutsandbolts.com/resources Connect with Linzy: https://www.moneynutsandbolts.com hello@moneynutsandbolts.com  Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:intentional@intentionaltherapist.cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapistDisclaimer: This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.