The Couch and The Chair

In this first episode in a two episode series, Kate and Michelle talk about deciding to end their relationships. Specifically, Michelle shares how she arrived at the decision to divorce her husband and Kate shares how she chose to continue to stay married but no longer live with her husband. They both unpack their belief systems about marriage and events that led to their respective decisions. Tip...

Kate and Michelle discuss the concept of creating a chosen family. Kate shares how she created this as an adult by being polyamorous and Michelle talks about how her upbringing inspires her to want to eventually become a foster parent. They each discuss different beliefs you can cultivate when thinking about what you want your family to look like. They also share an exciting personal announcement...

Kate and Michelle share two different perspectives on autism. Michelle talks about parenting an autistic child who was recently diagnosed. Kate talks about her lived experience as someone who discovered autistic traits later in the life for herself. Together they talk about the importance of de-stigmatizing autism and finding ways to embrace it instead. Support the show Want to get 15% off of ALL...

Kate and Michelle talk about experiencing grief in different forms during the holidays; Michelle is experiencing grief after the deaths of both her mother-in-law and grandfather this year and Kate is experiencing grief about her mother's declining health and how that impacts holidays in her family. They share tips for how to shift your perspective about this time of year and how to take care...

2025 isn't fully finished yet and it has already been a year filled with uncertainty as Trump's second presidential term has gotten underway. Kate and Michelle talk about how they navigate supporting clients with the fears they express and the impact current events have on each of them personally. Their tips include some practical resources, as well as emphasizing the importance of self-...

Kate and Michelle are joined by special guest Kimberly Slagle to discuss the challenges of being in relationship with parents who are aging. Both Kate and Kim share their stories of what aging has looked like for their parents, specifically how both of their parents are struggling with dementia. Tips are offered to help with emphasizing the importance of seeking support and normalizing all the emo...

Kate and Michelle talk about each of their journeys to find meaning in their life, including how they were influenced by their parents about this topic and how they've both struggled and succeeded in adulthood with finding it. They provide tips on how you can start finding more meaning in your own life and conceptualize meaning-making differently.  Support the show Want to get 15% off of ALL...

Kate and Michelle talk about how they have been impacted by family members holding different political views. Highlighting how politics have changed since 2016 when Trump was elected, they discuss the complexities of maintaining relationships with loved ones who have very different values. They share tips for communicating effective boundaries if needed and the importance of acceptance, curiosity...

 Kate and Michelle both share their experiences of joy throughout different stages of life. They also talk about challenges that interfere with their ability to feel joy and what they are working on in therapy to overcome those challenges. They share suggestions for how to think about joy in a new way and how to bring more of it into your life. TRIGGER WARNING: 37:40-37:47 Support the show Want to...

Kate and Michelle talk about the challenges and successes they've experienced with establishing friendships in adulthood. They discuss the reasons why adult friendships are difficult to start and maintain and provide tips for how you can start connecting with new people and making friends yourself.  Support the show Want to get 15% off of ALL Guilford Press titles? Use this link (code is DBTM...

Kate and Michelle talk about each of their relationships with their fathers during childhood and adulthood. They both share how they have found close connections with their fathers, as well as sharing flaws and past incidents of hurt. They also share suggestions for men who are fathers and how to heal wounded father relationships as an adult.  TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is di...

The holiday season is upon us! Kate and Michelle talk about each of their own childhood memories from the holidays, both positive and challenging. They share how they each celebrate holidays currently as adults. They also share suggestions that may help you during this time of year if you find yourself struggling to cope with stresses this time of year can bring. Support the show Want to get 15% o...

Kate and Michelle share about their current struggles in their marriages and their reasons for deciding to stay with their husbands in spite of the challenges. They both share tips for how to seek support and adjust your thinking if you also find yourself in a struggling relationship that you want to continue.  Support the show Want to get 15% off of ALL Guilford Press titles? Use this link (code...

Kate and Michelle are joined by special guest Sarah Kardelen to talk about coercive control in romantic relationships. Coercive control is a specific type of intimate partner violence defined as "a pattern of controlling behaviors that create an unequal power dynamic in a relationship." Sarah and Kate share their stories followed by Sarah, Kate and Michelle sharing guidance and resources...

Kate and Michelle are joined by Ashley Wilkinson as she and Kate discuss their experiences living with ADHD. They both talk about how it felt to be diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood and open up about how ADHD impacts their daily lives. Strategies are shared for how to help manage ADHD while also having compassion for yourself.  Support the show Want to get 15% off of ALL Guilford Press titles? Use...

Michelle is joined by Jason Wilkinson to talk about conflict avoidance in romantic relationships. Michelle and Jason both talk about how their childhoods and past experiences have led to avoiding conflict in their marriages and how therapy has helped them work on this. Support the show Want to get 15% off of ALL Guilford Press titles? Use this link (code is DBTME at checkout): https://www.guilford...

Kate and Michelle are joined by Shannon Heers, a perinatal mental health therapist, to talk about post-partum experiences, specifically the challenges of the "4th trimester" (the first three months after giving birth). Michelle and Shannon share their experiences with transitioning to motherhood and also share valuable tips and resources. Support the show Want to get 15% off of ALL Guilf...

Kate and Michelle announce that the frequency of episodes will now be reduced and explain reasons for making this decision.  Support the show Want to get 15% off of ALL Guilford Press titles? Use this link (code is DBTME at checkout): https://www.guilford.com/dbtme If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: www.facebook.com/groups/thecouchandthechair  If you want to be a guest, have a t...

Kate and Michelle are joined by special guest Chris Campassi to talk about panic attacks. Chris and Kate share their stories and backgrounds prior to experiencing panic attacks and how they each experience intense anxiety. Tips are shared for how to prevent panic attacks and take care of yourself during and after them.  TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is discussed from 34:05-34:20...

Kate and Michelle are joined by Dr. Tara Sanderson to talk about experiences with burnout. Tara shares how she started noticing burnout during COVID and Michelle talks about being burnt out at a job she worked at 10 years ago. Tips are shared at the end of the episode about how you can prevent and treat burnout if you start to notice it yourself.  TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering i...

Kate and Michelle talk about their sexual histories and how past sexual experiences have either been helpful or harmful to their mental health. They both share how they are re-inventing their sex lives currently and tips that can help you do the same if you want to find more authentic sexual pleasure.  Support the show Want to get 15% off of ALL Guilford Press titles? Use this link (code is DBTME...

Kate and Michelle talk about living as females and messages they have received about three different topics: what it means to take care of other people, how the female body is viewed by others (specifically men), and the ability to keep yourself safe/take care of yourself. TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is discussed from 49:55-51:40 and from 56:25-1:01:30.  Support the show Want...

Kate and Michelle talk about personal experiences with chronic pain throughout their lives, including how they accepted it and how it impacted their mental health to experience it. They share tips for how to start treating your body with greater kindness if you also experience chronic pain.  Support the show Want to get 15% off of ALL Guilford Press titles? Use this link (code is DBTME at checkout...

Kate and Michelle talk about how they personally engage in self-care as well as challenges they've experienced with making room for it in their lives. They share tips based off of what they've learned for how you can prioritize self-care yourself.  Support the show Want to get 15% off of ALL Guilford Press titles? Use this link (code is DBTME at checkout): https://www.guilford.com/dbtme...

Kate and Michelle are joined by Rebecca Nystrom to discuss childhood trauma. Rebecca and Kate share personal experiences of childhood trauma followed by a discussion about ways to process childhood trauma in therapy, reducing blame, and finding other support resources. TRIGGER WARNING: The topic of this episode may be triggering as a whole to many. Specific details of trauma are discussed througho...