Light Up The Couch

Dr. Karen Levine provides clear guidance about treatment approaches based in a combination of Play Therapy techniques and gradual exposure in order to address fears and phobias in young children, including discussion about the use of these interventions with neurodiverse clientele. Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT.

Diane Bigler, LCSW, takes a deep dive into how to approach ethical considerations regarding client self-determination around medical care. What rights does a patient/client have? What if their provider disagrees with their choice? What if WE, as a therapist, disagree? In this interview, Diane breaks down the complexity of medical decision-making and the importance of supporting client/patient autonomy using helpful case examples and her own lived experience. Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT.

Jessica Gifford, LICSW, explains the link between social connectedness and mental health, and emphasizes the importance of helping clients build connection using concrete strategies. Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT.

Linda Hershman, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and author specializing in gray divorce, dives into the complexities of later-life breakups. She discusses the increasing trend of gray divorce and how societal changes, including financial independence and pandemic impacts, shape these decisions. Linda sheds light on unique challenges faced by adult children and mixed-orientation marriages, emphasizing the emotional toll of parental separation. Through her expert insights, she offers valuable resources for those navigating this transformative phase in life.

Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge discusses integrative mental health options (like supplements, dietary changes, neurofeedback, etc.), legal and ethical considerations about how to discuss these options with therapy clients, how to integrate methods into their clinical practice, and the research on these integrative approaches. Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT.

Dr. Jamie Marich addresses clinical fear and stigma about dissociation, and explains dissociation in a holistic manner with appreciation of historical context, societal influences, and modern knowledge from the field of traumatic stress studies. Presentation also includes discussion of Dr. Marich's first-hand experience with dissociation. Presentation-style.

Dr. Lyneia Richardson discusses common traumatic pregnancy and childbirth experiences of Black women and themes around mothering as a Black woman in America; suggestions on how helping professionals can best provide a supportive space of healing for this population is also discussed. Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT. Note: This episode uses various terms to describe people who gestate and chestfeed, including terms like women, mothering, breastfeeding, childbirthing people, etc. Please note that the terminology to describe child birthing people is continually evolving; we encourage use of lexicon that is specific to each individual and his/her/their self-identification. We also want to note that this episode includes discussion of medical emergencies and traumatic experiences relating to childbirth.

Elizabeth Irias, Therapist, discusses the clinical value of confronting clients and reasons therapists shy away from challenging clients. They explore the power of confrontation, the role it plays in therapy, and the approaches for effective confrontation. They also discuss the importance of confronting conflicts and providing feedback in relationships. Additional resources for improving skills in confronting clients effectively are recommended.

Dr. Russell Siler Jones, LMHC, provides helpful rationale for attending to spiritual and religious issues in psychotherapy, including discussion about countertransference and meaningful interventions to welcome a client's meaning-making into the room. Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT.

Grief therapist Londyn Miller, LMFT, explores some of the societal norms which shape our unconscious responses to grief (encompassing all kinds of grief, not just grief relating to illness or death), including discussion about common bereavement myths. Critical self-care strategies for managing social pressures and creative ideas to help clients manage their grief around holidays are also discussed. Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT.