Therapy Chat

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 Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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.  In today's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews the co-authors of "The Tough Standard: The hard truths about masculinity and violence," Dr. Ronald Levant and Shana Pryor. In this conversation you'll learn about the construct of masculinity and how it impinges upon men and others. Ronald F. Levant, EdD, ABPP, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at The University of Akron; Past President of the American Psychological Association (APA) and APA Division 51; and two-term Editor of APA Division 51’s quarterly journal, Psychology of Men & Masculinities. He has developed and evaluated a number of measures designed to assess a variety of gender constructs. Dr. Levant’s signature contribution has been in establishing the empirical foundation for the “Normative Male Alexithymia” hypothesis. In addition, he developed Alexithymia Reduction Treatment (ART), a brief psychoeducational intervention designed to remediate normative male alexithymia in order to prepare men to engage more fully in psychotherapy. This is his 19th book. Shana Pryor, MA, is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at the University of Akron. She has spent the majority of her career focusing on men, masculinity and sexual trauma. Resources Learn more about their work and find a book excerpt at: www.thetoughstandard.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/audioOur Sponsors:* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews an expert on workplace culture and its influence on employees. Rajkumari Neogy, the author of "The WIT Factor: Shifting the Workplace Paradigm by Becoming Your Optimal Self," discusses the importance of a workplace environment that makes employees feel a sense of belonging. Rajkumari, who holds a master’s degree in Transformative Leadership Development from the California Institute of Integral Studies describes his experience working at Facebook and other iconic organizations in the Silicon Valley, and why she became a leadership coach based on those experiences. You will hear more about: - How epigenetics factor into creating an inclusive workplace culture - Why leaders should care about "being nice" to their employees - How just as we can rewire our neural pathways, a corporate culture can be rewired to make everyone working there feel safe using principles of polyvagal theory - How a sense of belonging is a somatic experience - What leaders need to do in order to support their teams - An exercise Rajkumari uses when working with corporate teams  Rajkumari Neogy is an epigenetic coach and executive consultant focused on the intersection of neurobiology, culture and empathy in today’s business world. Possessing a rare blend of scientific prowess and emotion, Neogy believes that passionate self-reflection coupled with dedicated curiosity define true leadership. Specializing in the technology sector, Neogy has worked with high-powered, worldwide organizations for more than two decades, training leaders at Google, Facebook, Adobe, Indeed, Slack, Salesforce and numerous others.  Neogy is based in San Francisco. Resources Learn more about Rajkumari's work at his website: www.rajkumarineogy.com.  Sarah Peyton's book, Your Resonant Self: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Resonant-Self-Meditations-Exercises/dp/0393712249 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 Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews an expert on workplace culture and its influence on employees. Rajkumari Neogy, the author of "The WIT Factor: Shifting the Workplace Paradigm by Becoming Your Optimal Self," discusses the importance of a workplace environment that makes employees feel a sense of belonging. Rajkumar, who holds a master’s degree in Transformative Leadership Development from the California Institute of Integral Studies describes his experience working at Facebook and other iconic organizations in the Silicon Valley, and why she became a leadership coach based on those experiences. You will hear: - How epigenetics factor into creating an inclusive workplace culture - Why leaders should care about "being nice" to their employees - How just as we can rewire our neural pathways, a corporate culture can be rewired to make everyone working there feel safe using principles of polyvagal theory. Rajkumari Neogy is an epigenetic coach and executive consultant focused on the intersection of neurobiology, culture and empathy in today’s business world. Possessing a rare blend of scientific prowess and emotion, Neogy believes that passionate self-reflection coupled with dedicated curiosity define true leadership. Specializing in the technology sector, Neogy has worked with high-powered, worldwide organizations for more than two decades, training leaders at Google, Facebook, Adobe, Indeed, Slack, Salesforce and numerous others. Neogy is based in San Francisco. Thank you to Doxy.me for sponsoring this week's episode of Therapy Chat. Doxy.me is an easy to use, HIPAA compliant telehealth platform that is available in free and paid versions. Get $50 off a paid account by going to doxy.me and putting in the code THERAPYCHAT. Resources Learn more about Rajkumari's at his website: www.rajkumarineogy.com  The On Being podcast episode with Resmaa Mekanem: https://onbeing.org/programs/resmaa-menakem-notice-the-rage-notice-the-silence/  Dr. Moshe Szyf on YouTube talking about epigenetics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEAJmDPJz_I  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 Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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.  In today's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Dr. Jodie Skillicorn, a holistic psychiatrist and author of the new book, "Healing Depression Without Medication: a psychiatrist's guide to balancing mind, body and soul". Jodie explains how trauma plays a role in many psychiatric symptoms and how she works with her partients using medications as a last resort. Tune in for an interesting and thought provoking discussion! Dr. Jodie Skillicorn is an osteopathic physician board certified in Psychiatry and a diplomate of the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She integrates conventional medical training with evidence-based holistic methods that include breathwork, meditation, yoga, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Mind-Body Medicine, nutrition, exercise, nature, and auricular acupuncture at her private practice in Stow, Ohio. Resources: Jodie's website: http://www.mindfulpsych.com/  Link to Loveland Foundation: https://thelovelandfoundation.org/  Link to Laura's fundraiser for Loveland foundation: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/fundraiser/NzU4MzM=/45973  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 Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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.  233: Tolerating Discomfort As A White Person Confronting Racism & White Supremacy In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C discusses how the Window of Tolerance and Polyvagal Theory play a role in white people's reactions to confronting our roles in racism. Laura offers "Window of Tolerance 101" to explain hyperarousal and hypoarousal, and how our bodies and brains respond to threats. She describes Deb Dana's Polyvagal Ladder concept as well. Laura reflects upon her own complicity in upholding the systems of oppression that support white supremacy and what she has begun to understand while reading "White Fragility" by Dr. Robin DiAngelo. She reads from an article sharing thoughts of black therapists that are offered to white therapists. She offers resources for white people understanding more and getting started with making a difference. "White Therapists, Here's What Your Black Colleagues Want You To Know," from Psychotherapy Networker: https://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/blog/details/1775/white-therapists-heres-what-your-black-colleagues-want?fbclid=IwAR0n2CHdh_8hP4619Vhe5Zisti266xnWlq-tfRjg48JMTYj5ePfmZgCTlcM Rachel Cargle's The Loveland Foundation: https://thelovelandfoundation.org/ Contribute to Laura's fundraiser for The Loveland Foundation:  https://www.flipcause.com/secure/fundraiser/NzU4MzM=/45973?fbclid=IwAR26eg4y0anx9_AADh84brJ9zpZoY3ZeBm-I3z2v02zGXZXV6e4POladK0Q Rachel Cargle's Public Address on Revolution from 5/3/20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leBPMyQ60HM Deepa Iyer's Map of Social Change Roles: https://medium.com/@dviyer/mapping-our-social-change-roles-in-times-of-crisis-8bbe71a8ab01 Eddie Moore, Jr's 21 Day Challenge: https://www.eddiemoorejr.com/21daychallenge Dr. Robin DiAngelo's book White Fragility: https://robindiangelo.com/publications/ Laura's interview with Deb Dana on Polyvagal Theory: https://baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast.libsyn.com/159-understanding-polyvagal-theory Resources: 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 Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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.  Episode 232: Confronting Structural Inequality & White Supremacy  I. I am a white person, and I have my own internalized biases, including racism. I am continually working to confront my own biases and to do better, and I do my best to challenge racism when I see it.  I am not an expert in anti-racism work but as a social worker and activist, I do have a lot of education and experience in social justice work. I cannot and won't pretend to have the lived experience of a Black or Brown person living in America and I will give a long list of resources at the end of this episode, that is not an exhaustive list by any means. As I posted on social media earlier in the week, we have two Americas. One that works for white people and one that works against Black people. After the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, protests have taken place in cities all over the US and around the world. There are many people who are speaking out against racism and doing boots on the ground work in this area, and I will provide many resources to help you learn more about what they are doing. Since I have a platform that reaches a number of people, I want to take the opportunity to address those who listen to this podcast in hopes that if you feel lost on how to make a difference on the issue of racism, you might have more clarity after listening to today's show.  II. Why am I talking about this? I am a social worker. We follow the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. One of the primary ethical principles that we follow states "Social workers challenge social injustice."  Read below:  Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice.  Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers' social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people.  In addition, part of being a trauma informed therapist is understanding the power differential inherent in therapy. And my clients have experienced the trauma of abuse, which is rooted in patriarchal beliefs - for example that children must obey their parents and that beating them will make them obey. Most of my clients have experienced sexual violence in some form, which is again rooted in patriarchy. So even when I am not directly talking about racism, awareness of the impact of systemic inequality which support white supremacy is inherent in the work I do every day. If I fail to understand that I am part of the problem. As I have already acknowledged, my white privilege is a part of me that I was born with, just as being oppressed is something that every black person born in America is born with. It is not fair that I have privilege any more than it is fair that a black person is born with a disadvantage that our country assigns to them based on the color of their skin. That is why I am talking about this today.  III.  this brings us to what happened to Christian Cooper in Central Park last week. And what could have happened had he not filmed his encounter with Amy Cooper, to whom he is not related. In case you somehow missed that story, Mr. Cooper was birdwatching in Central Park in New York City when he came upon Amy Cooper, who had her dog off leash in an area where dogs are required to be leashed. Mr. Cooper politely asked Amy Cooper to put her dog on a leash and she argued basically that she didn't have to, so he started recording her. She then said that she was going to "call the police and tell them that an African American man is threatening my life". Which he wasn't. She called 911 while being video recorded and on her end of the call it sounded as if someone was attacking her, as her voice rose and became more panicked and hysterical sounding. Maybe she did that on purpose, as some have said, or maybe she really was scared. Mr. Cooper was simply existing, birdwatching, and asked her to follow the park's rules and leash her dog. After the video was viewed millions of time and she lost her dog and her job, she apologized, stating, according to CNN, "I'm not a racist. I did not mean to harm that man in any way."  In the same week that this happened in Central Park, protests took place over the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. As  you should know, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were killed by police, and Ahmaud Arbery was killed by two white vigilantes while jogging. The Baltimore Sun published an op-ed calling these events lynchings.    Their names are added to a long list of others who have been killed because of the color of their skin. Including, in recent years: Philando Castile. Eric Harris. Corey Jones. Walter Scott. Yvonne Smallwood. Freddie Gray. Tamir Rice. Sandra Bland. Trayvon Martin. Tony McDade. Eric Garner. Randolph Evans. Alton Sterling. Michael Brown. Sean Reed. John Crawford, III.   Now this is what I want to talk about. To all of us white people who do not want to think of ourselves as racists. What I am about to share may bring up some cognitive dissonance for you. For anyone who doesn't know, this is when your identity, the way you want to see yourself, clashes with information that makes you think about yourself in a different way. It is uncomfortable, and I challenge you to be brave enough to sit with your discomfort and don't turn away.    This list comes from a graphic I found on social media. I don't know its origin but I found it through @theconsciouskid.   There is the overt type of racism that most of us consider to be loathsome. This includes:  Lynching, hate crimes, blackface, swastikas, racist jokes, racist slurs, burning crosses, the N word, Neo-Nazis, KKK for example. I think most of us know those behaviors and hate groups are racist. Then there is covert racism, which is more insidious because it is embedded in our society. Examples include: calling the police on black people, white silence, colorblindness, white parents self segregating neighborhoods & schools, white savior complex, eurocentric school curriculums, education funding from property taxes, tone policing, racist mascots, not believing experiences of BlPOC, paternalism/patriarchy, victim blaming, "don't blame me, I never owned slaves," higher infant & maternal mortality rates for BlPOC, discriminatory lending, spiritual bypassing, racial profiling, "All Lives Matter," bootstrap theory, denial of racism, claiming reverse racism, expecting black people to teach white people about racism, housing discrimination, attributing more maturity and responsibility to black children than you would to white children, housing and employment discrimination...the list goes on and on.   As a white person, whether or not you identify as racist, you benefit from the structures that support white supremacy. For example, property inheritance. Many white people have had the opportunity for property to be passed down for generations, giving white people a better start than most black people have had available, particularly because for many years black people were not allowed to own property. So white people have, in general, had hundreds of years of head start on accumulation of wealth that was not available to black people. That is just one simple example. This country was built on white supremacy - just consider the Declaration of Independence, written by a group of wealthy white men who were "owned" enslaved people. Like Thomas Jefferson, who had several children by an enslaved girl, Sally Hemings, beginning when she was only 14 years old. Those children, who were also enslaved, had no inheritance rights despite being biological children of this powerful landowner. The Declaration of Independence states : "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." Clearly they did not see blacks as "men," since they had no right to life or liberty and the rights in the Constitution did not apply to them (or to women either, there's that patriarchy again).   So - back to the present day - Amy Cooper, in Central Park, just did what any white woman might do if she was alone and did not have a white man to give her power. Since women are disempowered in the US, we get our power from our association with men. At least, white women do. We are born and raised to understand that first our fathers will protect us, and then when we are adults our husbands will protect us. And if our fathers and our husbands aren't around, then we can call the police who will come and protect us. Why do we women need so much protection? Because our culture with its hypermasculinity says that we are sexual objects for men to compete for, and it is not until we are married that we are safely off limits to men other than our husbands. This is one of the ways that women unconsciously perpetuate white supremacy and the patriarchy. We have seen this happening so often on video now, thanks to social media, which is shining a light on how things really are for those who are living outside of our bubbles. There is even a meme that describes how Karens - white women who are indignant when they feel black people are stepping out of line - demand to speak to the manager or call 911 when they see black people picnicking in a park or drinking water in Starbucks.   IV. so what we are talking about here is structural racism. I found a great definition of structural racism on the Racial Equity Tools website, where they quoted an organization called Solid Ground, which is based in Seattle. It says " “the systematic distribution of resources, power and opportunity in our society to the benefit of people who are white and the exclusion of people of color. Present-day racism was built on a long history of racially distributed resources and ideas that shape our view of ourselves and others. It is a hierarchical system that comes with a broad range of policies and institutions that keep it in place. In the United States, institutional racism has been responsible for slavery, settlement, Indian reservations, segregation, residential schools (for American Indians), and internment camps. While most of these institutions no longer exist, they have had long-term impacts on our society. As a result of institutional racism, racial stratification and disparities have occurred in employment, housing, education, healthcare, government and other sectors. While many laws were passed in the mid-20th century to make discrimination illegal, major inequalities still exist." So if you think having our first black President resolved all the problems of our country's racism, think again. STOP  If you are a white person, ask yourself whether you would choose to be black if you could. Black people are beautiful, wonderful, gifted contributors to American society. We love black culture but our society does not love black people. If you are being honest with yourself, I don't think anyone would choose to be black in America, because we all know that black people in this country are not treated fairly. I respect the role of law enforcement, but I would not be afraid to look a police officer in the eye and explain why I was speeding or to argue if I was accused of running a red light that I know wasn't red. I don't have to worry about being killed when I get pulled over. Even though that could happen, it is so unlikely that it doesn't cross my mind. And if I were killed after being pulled over for speeding, there would be outrage in the community because people would think it was wrong that I, a white woman, was killed in a traffic stop. That is why the Black Lives Matter movement exists. Because when a black person is killed during a traffic stop, white people tend to say, "well, you don't know what happened before the video started." or "he should have followed the police officer's orders." "He was resisting." "he tried to run away." We don't ask why a gun was pulled on someone who was pulled over for a broken taillight or running a red light. There needs to be a movement called "Black Lives Matter," because to white Americans, when a black person is murdered there is little reaction.   Philando Castile was in lawful possession of a gun, which he disclosed to the officer, and he was killed anyway. I feel that the Second Amendment rights that are so important to many Americans are only valid for white people, one of the many ways that our laws are enforced unequally. Why do white people need so much protection? We have the most power yet we are still so afraid. Maybe we are so afraid because we know that we as a country are mistreating an entire group of people and have been for the entirety of the colonization of this land that we took from the indigenous peoples who lived here prior to the 1600s. If we had an egalitarian society where everyone enjoyed the great American dream, maybe we would have less to fear from our fellow citizens. If you don't understand what I'm talking about, please start out by reading Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States, which tells our country's origin story from the point of view of the indigenous peoples who experienced genocide in the name of colonialism.  I saw a great satirical article that talked about how the current situation in the US could be written about if it was happening in another country. I will read a couple of quotes from that article.  " In recent years, the international community has sounded the alarm on the deteriorating political and human rights situation in the United States under the regime of Donald Trump. Now, as the country marks 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, the former British colony finds itself in a downward spiral of ethnic violence. The fatigue and paralysis of the international community are evident in its silence, America experts say.  The country has been rocked by several viral videos depicting extrajudicial executions of black ethnic minorities by state security forces. Uprisings erupted in the northern city of Minneapolis after a video circulated online of the killing of a black man, George Floyd, after being attacked by a security force agent   “Sure, we get it that black people are angry about decades of abuse and impunity,” said G. Scott Fitz, a Minnesotan and member of the white ethnic majority. “But going after a Target crosses the line. Can’t they find a more peaceful way, like kneeling in silence?”  Ethnic violence has plagued the country for generations, and decades ago it captured the attention of the world, but recently the news coverage and concern are waning as there seems to be no end in sight to the oppression."    V. So what can you and I do about these issues?  Concrete things. Confront your own internalized racism. This will bring up the shame of privilege. Don't get swallowed up by shame, and take a break if you need to take a break (a privilege that black people don't get) and then get back to it as soon as you can. Don't ask black people to expend their emotional labor for free to teach you and absolve you of responsibility. Pay black people who are teaching about anti-racism work and learn from them.   How to do that? I am going to give you a bunch of resources, by no means an exhaustive list, of people you can learn from. After this I am going to step back because I am not the expert here. But I hope that by using my voice to educate white members of my audience on racism, I may make a difference in some way.   Resources: 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 Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 to episode 231 of the Therapy Chat Podcast. In this week's solo episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C shares her observations of the reactions many of us are having to the pandemic. She touches on the following topics: Isolation Fear Anger Loss of Control/Powerlessness Some of the positive things that are coming from this What we can do about the feelings that are coming up And Laura wants to know whether this content is what you want to hear, or if you are itching for some of the usual content that you would normally hear on Therapy Chat. Please take a moment to complete this very short, anonymous survey! Please take a moment to let Laura know how you feel the content. Are you sick of hearing about the pandemic or do you want Laura to keep talking about it? https://forms.gle/1faMssk8FFAe1N4u9  Resources: 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 Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 to episode 230 of the Therapy Chat Podcast. In this weeks episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Kyle Davies on the subject finding your true self whilst coping with Covid-19. Kyle Davies is a wellbeing and mindset coach, author and trainer. He specializes in helping individuals and groups to optimise their energy and wellbeing, combat stress and stress-related symptoms, improve mental clarity and performance, and develop inner resilience and flow. Kyle originally qualified as a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and is the creator of Energy-Flow Coaching™. He spent a chunk of his career pioneering a new approach for treating chronic fatigue and pain, anxiety, depression and other stress-related symptoms – which is reflected in the recently published book, The Intelligent Body. Kyle’s work is about developing people from the inside out. He doesn’t try to get people to learn loads of mental techniques that they quickly forget, or to try and fix their environment because situations and environments often can’t be changed. Rather he helps people to gain a better and deeper understanding of themselves so they can tap into their own resilience, flow and potentials, helping them be more effective at work, at home, and in life. Kyle facilitates transformations for those who are stuck, overwhelmed, lost or stressed and empowers them to experience greater personal freedom and higher consciousness. His work offers a new understanding of the relationship between hidden stress in the body, emotional energy, and chronic health challenges. Resources: http://www.energyflowcoaching.com http://kyledavies.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/audioOur Sponsors:* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands