Therapists Unchained

This week on Therapist Unchained host Sivie Suckerman and Candice Thompson discuss the ethical dilemmas and potential dangers of integrating artificial intelligence into the therapy profession. Candice explains how venture capital and the tech industry are aggressively commercializing mental health care, often prioritizing corporate valuation and cost-cutting over authentic human connection. They...

In this podcast interview, Sivie Suckerman speaks with Megan Ellow , a licensed clinical social worker and the creator of Therapist CEU. They discuss the growing corporatization of mental health, specifically how large entities and private equity firms have taken over the field of continuing education. Megan shares her frustration with generic, low-quality trainings offered by major conglomerates...

In this episode of Therapists Unchained, Sivie Suckerman interviews Dr. Lauren Lawson , a licensed marriage and family therapist, coach, and founder of Hope Counseling Center . They discuss the financial and operational pressures facing private practice owners including corporate tax burdens, widespread clinician burnout, and the limitations of traditional fee-for-service models. Dr. Lawson dispel...

In this episode of Therapists Unchained, Sivie Suckerman interviews Michael Desposito , a counselor and advocate leading the Insurance Accountability Committee in Ohio. They speak about the systemic challenges facing mental health professionals, including low reimbursement rates, the threat of insurance clawbacks , and the complexities of clinical integration . Michael highlights recent legislativ...

Content Warning: This episode of Therapists Unchained features a deeply honest and vulnerable conversation regarding severe depression, systemic burnout, and suicidal ideation among mental health professionals. In this episode of Therapists Unchained, host Sivie Suckerman sits down with Anna Steele, LCSW , a licensed clinical social worker who runs a solo private practice in Vail, Arizona. Anna sh...

This podcast episode of Therapists Unchained , hosted by Sivie Suckerman , features MediSprout founders Dr. Samant Virk and Ben Putland , who discuss their mission to provide an ethical technology alternative for mental health clinicians. Unlike venture-backed platforms that prioritize investor returns, their Electronic Health Record (EHR) system focuses on clinical integrity and data sovereignty....

This podcast episode of Therapists Unchained , hosted by Sivie Suckerman , features Meg Curtin Rey-Bear, MA, LPCC, LMHC, NCC , a veteran therapist and advocate from Eastern Washington. As the finance task force chair and co-creator of the insurance task force for the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WAMCA), Meg shares her experiences navigating and fighting to reform the mental hea...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! Host Sivie Suckerman, LMHC, ACS  and “Psych Billing Coach” Susan Frager, MSW, clarify key administrative and regulatory shifts impacting mental health clinicians.   Susan explains the technical differences between Medicare's "incident to" billing and standard behavioral health supervisory billing. The two discuss the ad...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! In this episode of the "Therapists Unchained" , host Sivie Suckerman interviews Susan Frager, MSW , widely known as the "Psych Billing Coach". Susan shares her journey from working as an MSW in a high-stress managed care environment to building a business that helps therapists navigate the complexities of psychiatr...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! In this episode, host Sivie Suckerman, LMHC welcomes her guest, Jessica Frick, LPC .  Drawing on her background in community mental health, Jessica shares vital updates on her macro-level advocacy work within the Mental Health Insurance Reform Task Force and the Pennsylvania Counseling Association. Their conversation focuses on the cu...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! In this episode of Therapists Unchained , Sivie Suckerman interviews Sharon Harper, a licensed clinical social worker and the founder of the Therapist Resource Institute (TRI) . The conversation explores and emphasizes the necessity of reclaiming professional autonomy and building sustainable careers through authentic human connection...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! *The audio in this episode is not my favorite. Thanks for your understanding!* In this episode, host Sivie Suckerman welcomes her first-ever return guest, Nicole Sartini. Nicole is a licensed professional clinical counselor, integrated mental health professional, and a fierce advocate for social justice and health insurance reform bas...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! In this episode, Sivie sits down with Shannon Thompson, LMHC, Executive Director of the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WMHCA), the state chapter of the American Mental Health Counselors Association, to explore and dismantle the typical narrative around professional organizations. Shannon explains how the WMHCA has ev...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! In this episode of Therapists Unchained , host Sivie Suckerman sits down with Jeanine Rousso, a licensed clinical mental health counselor and registered play therapist supervisor based in North Carolina. They discuss the harsh financial realities facing mental health professionals today—from staggering student loans to the rising cost...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! In this episode of Therapists Unchained , host Sivie Suckerman, LMHC, ACS sits down with Kim Kabar, LMFT, to discuss the hidden dangers of the "uberification" of mental health care.  The conversation highlights a harrowing security breach where Kim’s deactivated Psychology Today account was hacked and altered, raising urgent...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! In this episode of Therapists Unchained, host Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS sits down with Michael Clifton, MA, LPC, LAC, NCC, a brave clinician willing to speak openly about what it’s actually like to work inside the very VC-backed mental-health platforms this podcast has been warning about. Drawing on what he calls “footage from be...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! Hey folks, This is a very short episode to recognize and acknowledge the current oppressive systems we are facing in the United States. This episode is meant to connect and offer mutual aid to those looking for community during these unprecedented times. Please join us for our next Collective Care Lab on January 28th. If you would lik...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! This week's conversation dives into a long-standing issue in the mental health field: the gap between clinical training and real-world practice. Host Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS is joined by clinician and academic Janice Murphy Rising, Ph. D., LMHC, CMHS to unpack why so many graduate programs leave students unprepared for the...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! In this mini-episode of Therapists Unchained, Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS, provides updates about the Therapists Unchained community and thanks listeners for their support. A core focus is building community and facilitating engagement , including promoting past events and two monthly "labs": the Liberated Practice Lab, f...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! In this episode of Therapists Unchained, host Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS, sits down with Jack Register, LCSW, LIASC, CCS, ICAADC, ICCS, a seasoned advocate and clinician with experience in public policy and systemic change. Together, they discuss Jack’s journey as a registered lobbyist at both the state and federal levels, unpacki...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! In this week's episode of Therapists Unchained, Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS sits down with Ellen Tanner, MS, OTR/L occupational therapist and founder of Hearing the Helper . Ellen shares her personal journey with burnout and how it opened her eyes to the deeper systemic challenges facing helping professionals. Together, they d...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS interviews Caitlin Archibald, MS, LPC, NCC, ACS, a licensed professional counselor and approved clinical supervisor who owns Chrysalis Counseling Center, a group practice in New Jersey. They discuss the challenges faced by small group practices amidst the rise of large venture capitalist (VC) backed ment...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! Marta Hamilton, MA, LPC-S, and Sivie Suckerman, LMHC, ACS, discussed the inspiration and mission behind TeleWellness Hub, highlighting its commitment to supporting wellness based professionals through diverse service listings, community building, and advocacy. Tune in to hear an exciting announcement about a new partnership between Th...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS, and James Ahearn, JD, LPC, PhDc, explore the complex intersection of law, ethics, and mental health care. They unpack the relationships between clients, providers, and insurance companies; examine the growing influence of big tech and venture capital; and discuss how collective power can drive systemic...

Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show! Sivie Suckerman, LMHC, ACS, catches up with Nicole Sartini, LPCC, IMHP, to discuss Nicole’s advocacy work and the founding of both Bridge Counseling and Wellness and the Mental Health Insurance Reform Task Force. The conversation explores Nicole’s motivation to confront inadequate insurance reimbursement and the lack of enforcement of...