Light Up The Couch

Raj Sundar, a family physician and community organizer from Seattle, dives into the vital concept of Cultural Safety in healthcare. He discusses overcoming cultural barriers and developing trust with immigrant clients. Sundar emphasizes the need for awareness and reflection among healthcare practitioners, sharing personal anecdotes that highlight the importance of communication. He also explores the impact of environmental cues on patient safety and the complexities of privilege within the provider-patient relationship, calling for open dialogue to foster inclusive spaces.

Psychedelic assisted therapy for Two Spirit people with trauma discussed by Marca Cassity, LMFT, and Elizabeth Irias, LMFT. Topics include discrimination, resilience, identity development, and decolonization in therapy.

Dr. Shiro Torquato discusses the importance of accurate diagnoses, benefits and limitations of the DSM diagnostic system, and complementary diagnostic tools like the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology to drive accurate diagnoses in order to improve care outcomes. Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT.

Jessica Gifford, LICSW, explains the power of upstream versus downstream suicide prevention interventions and offers research-based strategies to help clients improve quality of life as a suicide prevention resource. Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT. Note: Please note that the terminology to describe the voluntary ending of one's life is continually evolving alongside a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. Please note that Jessica uses various terms in this interview, including the phrase 'committed suicide'. Use of various lexicon is specific to each individual and situation.

Elizabeth Heaney, LPC, discusses how to navigate stalled therapy. They explore scenarios where progress stalls and provide techniques for deepening therapy. They emphasize the therapist's role in addressing the issue, challenging clients to go deeper, and monitoring progress.

Joanne Kim, LMFT, provides a sociocultural primer about the Enneagram (a 9-type personality framework) and how a client’s interest in the Enneagram types can impact and potentially deepen psychotherapeutic work by way of shared nomenclature and framing. Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT.

Megan VanMeter, a Licensed Professional Counselor focused on therapy resilience, joins Elizabeth Irias for an illuminating discussion. They delve into the critical differences between life enrichment and self-care, tackling burnout and compassion fatigue head-on. Megan emphasizes how personal experiences shape therapeutic effectiveness and the need for creativity in navigating mental health crises, especially post-COVID. She offers practical strategies to nurture well-being, urging therapists to rediscover their passion through purposeful engagement.

Elizabeth Heaney, LPC, explores differences in who initiates termination (client or therapist), what happens when termination seems premature, reactive, or not mutually agreed-upon, and the ethical importance of “clean” termination (for both parties). Presentation.

Dr. Londyn Miller and Elizabeth Irias discuss the distinctions between therapy and coaching, including legal and ethical considerations. They explore evolving telehealth laws post-pandemic, client assessments in coaching, and transitioning clients between therapy and coaching.

John Sovec, LMFT, explains coming out as a potentially trauma-based experience for LGBTQIA+ individuals, including themes like nervous system activation, hypervigilance, and social alienation; John also discusses supportive resources and clinical interventions. Presentation.