

Therapy Chat
Laura Reagan, LCSW-C
Laura Reagan, LCSW-C, Psychotherapist, Burnout Prevention Consultant and Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator interviews guests to discuss holistic and alternative approaches used in psychotherapy, counseling, coaching and healing sessions. Be a fly on the wall as therapists discuss the practice of psychotherapy and how they implement self care into their own lives to prevent therapist burnout. Conversations about mindfulness, self compassion, The Daring Way™, EMDR, art therapy, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, other somatic methods, trauma, parenting, attachment will get you thinking deeply about therapy and the universal experience of being human, with all the joy and pain that entails.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 9, 2020 • 43min
247: Gentle Self Care From An Ayurvedic Perspective with Gracy Obuchowicz
Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2 month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Welcome back to Therapy Chat! Today host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C speaks with Gracy Obuchowicz about self-care from an ayurvedic perspective. Gracy Obuchowicz is a Washington, DC-based group facilitator, retreat leader and self-care coach. She helps overwhelmed professionals find a deeper work/life balance and live their way into real purpose with strength and ease. Honest and nurturing, Gracy creates healing communities all over the world that activate deep change. Her thoughtful and practical application of self-care techniques continue to evolve and transform many lives. Gracy is a certified Integral Facilitator, a 500-hour registered yoga teacher, and a continuing scholar of Ayurveda. She has led transformational self-care retreats as close as West Virginia and as far away as India and Bali. She has led self-care workshops for the Department of Justice, the American Clinical Social Workers Association, Greenpeace, Lee Montessori Charter School, DC Public Schools, and the DC Public Charter School Board. Gracy work has been featured in The Washington Post, Washingtonian magazine, on NPR, in Conscious Company magazine and through the Ten Directions blog. In 2019, she published selfcarefully, an independent press book on how to care for yourself within the current challenges of our world. Selfcarefully has been reviewed by Publisher’s Weekly and featured by AIGA Eye on Design. She finds work/life balance by caring for her son Jonah, trying out new recipes in the kitchen, and playing outside in nature as much as possible. Resources http://www.selfcarewithgracy.com Want a cool Therapy Chat t-shirt, sticker or mug? Find them here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/therapychat Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here. Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://everydaydose.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.com* Check out PharmaNutra and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://pharmanutra-us.com* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Oct 2, 2020 • 43min
246: Understanding The Process Of Trauma Therapy with Dr Gretchen Schmelzer
Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2 month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Welcome back to Therapy Chat! Today host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits her conversation with Gretchen Schmelzer, PhD about her book Journey Through Trauma: A Trail Guide to the 5-Phase Cycle of Healing Repeated Trauma. Gretchen Schmelzer, PhD is a licensed psychologist, trained as a Harvard Medical School Fellow. She is a trauma survivor, who has worked for twenty-five years with the complex issues of trauma, integration and behavior change across every level of system from individuals, to groups, to large systems and countries, including her role as the expert consultant Frontline for their documentary on Alaskan survivors of priest sexual abuse (aired April 19, 2011). She leads programs using leadership development and trauma-informed emotional intelligence to help communities worldwide engage in the difficult public health issues confronting them such as AIDS and Domestic Violence. She is working on a book on long-term trauma and you can read more from Gretchen at her website, Emotional Geographic. Resources http://gretchenschmelzer.com Want a cool Therapy Chat t-shirt, sticker or mug? Find them here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/therapychat Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here. Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://everydaydose.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.com* Check out PharmaNutra and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://pharmanutra-us.com* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sep 26, 2020 • 38min
245: Trauma, Attachment, Compassion + Yoga In Therapy with Deirdre Fay
Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today's podcast host Laura Reagan revisits an earlier episode speaking with Deirdre Fay, MSW, LICSW, who integrates trauma and attachment theory with yoga and meditation in embodiment. The work she does arises out of her life. What she knows is grounded in her own healing as well as rigorous training as a psychotherapist looking for answers and ways to help others navigate the often-difficult terrain of healing trauma and attachment wounds. Deirdre knows what it’s like to make that journey. She did it dealing with her own history of trauma and as she searched for answers to relational and attachment issues. During the course of her life, she was lucky to have lived for six years in a spiritual community [Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health] which surrounded her with a nurturing environment. That experience grounded Deirdre in her commitment to finding ways to help other people. The Becoming Safely Embodied Skills were born during those years and came to fruition as she worked with trauma survivors in Boston both in her private practice and in hospital settings. She wanted to develop easy to apply take home skills that people could use when they weren’t in therapy. Resources https://dfay.com Want a cool Therapy Chat t-shirt, sticker or mug? Find them here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/therapychat Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here. Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://everydaydose.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.com* Check out PharmaNutra and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://pharmanutra-us.com* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sep 18, 2020 • 53min
244: Surprising Sources Of Childhood Trauma From Family Origin - With Sharon Martin
Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today's podcast host Laura Reagan revisits an earlier episode speaking with Sharon Martin, LCSW. Sharon is a licensed therapist, counselor, and mental health and wellness writer based in San Jose, CA. She has spent 20 years providing counseling, therapy, and clinical supervision. Sharon has built a specialized private practice that reflects her belief that you matter, and you can love yourself, heal, be empowered, speak your truth, and create a life you love. Listen for Sharon’s incredible insights on life, well-being and much more! Resources https://livewellwithsharonmartin.com Want a cool Therapy Chat t-shirt, sticker or mug? Find them here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/therapychat Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here. Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://everydaydose.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.com* Check out PharmaNutra and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://pharmanutra-us.com* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sep 11, 2020 • 1h 5min
243: Chronic Illness & Trauma
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today's podcast host Laura Reagan revisits her conversation with Dr. Veronique Mead on chronic illness and trauma. Dr. Veronique Mead integrates the research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), attachment trauma and additional types of adversity as risk factors for autoimmune disease and other chronic illnesses. She shares this emerging new paradigm of disease on her blog Chronic Illness Trauma Studies to inform people living with chronic physical conditions and educate medical and health care professionals. Veronique draws from her background as a family physician and assistant professor, a Master's degree in body-oriented psychotherapy, specialty training in somatically based trauma and perinatal therapies, and applying and exploring these principles on a personal journey of recovery from chronic illness. She lives in Boulder, CO. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Resources Veronique's website: https://chronicillnesstraumastudies.com/ Want a cool Therapy Chat t-shirt, sticker or mug? Find them here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/therapychat Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here. Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://everydaydose.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.com* Check out PharmaNutra and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://pharmanutra-us.com* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sep 4, 2020 • 44min
242: Childhood Trauma + Our Physical + Mental Health With Dr. Gabor Mate
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today's podcast host Laura Reagan revisits an earlier episode speaking to Dr. Gabor Maté. Dr. Maté is the co-founder of Compassion for Addiction, a new non-profit that focuses on addiction. He is also an advisor of Drugs over Dinner. As an author, Dr. Maté has written several bestselling books including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction; When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress; and Scattered Minds: A New Look at the Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder, and co-authored Hold on to Your Kids. His works have been published internationally in twenty languages. For twelve years Dr. Maté worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with patients challenged by hard-core drug addiction, mental illness and HIV, including at Vancouver’s Supervised Injection Site. With over 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience and extensive knowledge of the latest findings of leading-edge research, Dr. Maté is a sought-after speaker and teacher, regularly addressing health professionals, educators, and lay audiences throughout North America. In the fall of 2017, Dr. Maté will be launching a brand new website offering online courses in his various areas of expertise. The first course will be a training program for health professionals working with people with addiction. Dr. Maté explains the connection between childhood traumatic stress at any point in development - even in utero - and mental and physical health and well-being. Beyond a discussion of ACES, he describes the causes of illness and how trauma fits in. Did you know that ADD/ADHD, MS, Prostate cancer, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and many other diseases, as well as addictions of all kinds are linked to trauma? Gabor's books, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Scattered, and When the Body Says No go into depth with the research to support his assertions. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Resources https://drgabormate.com https://www.compassion4addiction.org https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66cYcSak6nE (Ted Talk) Article Dr. Maté referenced: "An Integrated Scientific Framework for Child Survival and Early Childhood Development" from Pediatrics, February 2012, Vol 129, Issue 2. Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here. Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://everydaydose.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.com* Check out PharmaNutra and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://pharmanutra-us.com* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Aug 28, 2020 • 1h 36min
EP241: The Primal Wound Of Adoption + Eco Therapy With Any Sugeno
Welcome to episode 241 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week's episode features two previous fascinating conversations with Amy Sugeno, LCSW, PLLC. Amy explains that Eco Therapy can take many forms, including animal-assisted (for example, canine and equine) therapies, wilderness therapies, walk and talk therapy, horticulture therapy and clinical eco-therapy in an office, as well as many other possibilities. She explains that this is a depth-oriented type of psychotherapy which can be very powerful. Amy describes how she conducts an eco-therapy session what to wear and what a client can expect overall. She and Laura discuss the power dynamics of the therapy relationship and how Eco Therapy can help create a balance. For the past 10 years, Amy has worked to help people heal from trauma. Most of her work has been with adults and teens affected by interpersonal violence and sexual abuse. Over the years, she has also worked with people struggling with suicidal thoughts, self-harming behaviors, eating disorders, homelessness, chronic mental illness, and substance abuse. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Resources http://www.amysugenocounseling.com/ Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here. Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://everydaydose.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.com* Check out PharmaNutra and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://pharmanutra-us.com* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Aug 24, 2020 • 1h 1min
240: Childhood Emotional Neglect: What Is It + How Does It Impact Relationships? With Dr Jonice Webb
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits two of her favourite conversations with Dr Jonice Webb. Dr. Webb has been a licensed psychologist since 1991, and has worked in a variety of different settings over the course of her career, including a psychiatric emergency service and substance abuse programs. She has been the Director of several large outpatient clinics. For the past eight years, she has been enjoying her private practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, specializing in the treatment of couples and families. Dr. Jonice Webb has been interviewed on NPR and over thirty radio shows across the United States and Canada about the topic of her book, Emotional Neglect, and has been quoted as a psychologist expert in the Chicago Tribune. She writes the popular Childhood Emotional Neglect Blog on PsychCentral.com. Over two decades of practicing psychology, Dr. Webb gradually started to see a factor from childhood which weighs upon people as adults. This factor is extremely subtle. In fact, it’s so difficult to see that it goes virtually unnoticed while it quietly saps a person’s joy in life, causing him or her to struggle with self-discipline, or to feel disconnected and unfulfilled. Dr. Webb gave a name to this invisible factor from childhood. She calls it Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN). Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Resources www.emotionalneglect.com Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here. Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://everydaydose.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.com* Check out PharmaNutra and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://pharmanutra-us.com* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Aug 15, 2020 • 1h 7min
239: Buddhist Psychology + Self Compassion with Tim Ambrose Desmond
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits two of her favourite conversations with Tim Desmond. Tim Desmond is a mindfulness teacher, therapist in private practice, and co-founder of Morning Sun Mindfulness Center in Alstead, NH. He is the author of Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (W.W. Norton, 2015) and offers training and consultation to therapists around the world, helping them to integrate positive psychology and mindfulness practices into their work. Tim has presented at Yale University, the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy Colloquium, Greater Oregon Behavioral Health Conference, and the International Society for Ethics in Psychology and Psychiatry, as well as to mental health audiences around the country. His writings on mindfulness and positive psychology have appeared in the Psychotherapy Networker and the Mindfulness Bell magazine. Tim was interviewed about self-compassion by the Huffington Post, and writes for major mental health websites such as Madinamerica.com. He developed and teaches “dialogue-based mindfulness training,” a technique for teaching mindfulness and self-compassion in which the client is guided through a meditation while giving the clinician feedback about their experience in real-time. The clinician uses this feedback to adjust and custom tailor the meditation instructions in order to ensure the client learns the technique effectively. In 2005, Tim was ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh into the Order of Interbeing after many years of practicing in that tradition. He leads meditation retreats around the US and teaches regularly at Morning Sun Mindfulness Center in NH. In addition to the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, Tim teaches Nonviolent Communication and positive psychology. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Resources https://www.timdesmond.net Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here. Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://everydaydose.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.com* Check out PharmaNutra and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://pharmanutra-us.com* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Aug 1, 2020 • 35min
238: Energy Healing For Trauma, Chronic Pain + Chronic Illness With Casey Hersch
In episode 238 host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Casey Hersch, LCSW about how energy healing can be a helpful part of healing trauma, chronic pain and chronic illness - when practiced in an ethical manner. Casey shares how consumers can identify safe and unsafe energy healing practices, some of the advantages and pitfalls of using these practices, and how to find an energy worker who is part of a professional organization with ethical standards to protect the public. Casey, a previous guest on Therapy Chat, discusses how energy healing practices have helped her as part of her recovery from trauma and Crohn's disease. Casey Hersch is a licensed clinical social worker, consultant, author, ballroom dancer, and founder of www.lightyoursparkle.life. She specializes in integrative treatment models for chronic illness. She has enhanced her understanding of healing through her studies of holistic treatment modalities. Her own struggles with autoimmune illness (Crohn's disease) and trauma inspire her to help others connect the dots of their own lives and to embrace the many dimension of healing. She is passionate about empowering others to be experts in their own bodies. She has published articles for Social Work Today, The New Social Worker, Taste for Life, Tiny Buddha, and Consciouscat.com, to name a few. Pet companionship, music, dancing, and relationships are at the heart of her healing, and she emphasizes there is not a "one size fits all" approach to health. Her book, pending publication, explores the connections between illness, trauma, attachment, and resiliency. Resources Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Today's guest, Casey Hersch, LCSW, shares resources from her website to learn more about the ethical practice of energy psychology. https://lightyoursparkle.life/more-sparkle/blog/178-tools-for-healing-association-for-comprehensive-energy-psychology https://lightyoursparkle.life/more-sparkle/blog/177-energy-psychology-honoring-ethics-in-trauma-treatment https://lightyoursparkle.life/more-sparkle/blog/176-tapping-a-simple-technique-to-calm-covid-19-fears-and-trauma https://lightyoursparkle.life/more-sparkle/blog/175-energy-psychology-with-mary-sise-what-is-it-and-how-can-it-help-you-heal https://lightyoursparkle.life/more-sparkle/blog/174-energy-medicine-and-energy-psychology-how-to-use-them-to-heal https://lightyoursparkle.life/more-sparkle/blog/165-energy-psychology-and-our-health https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqvoQL2yzqLZ4y0J1Z_bplQ Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here. Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audioOur Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://everydaydose.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.com* Check out PharmaNutra and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://pharmanutra-us.com* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands


