The Couples Therapist Couch

In order to guide couples to greater intimacy it can be helpful to have a framework that is backed up by decades of research. Laura Heck talks with Shane in this episode about the fact that as a therapist, there is no substitute for experience, but having exercises and interventions can be life changing for couples when used properly. Laura Heck is an LMFT and Certified Gottman Therapist in privat...

Lately in our country it seems like race and privilege are at the forefront of the media. From police shootings, to Donald Trump, to kneeling during the national anthem, these issues have a huge impact on everyone, particularly people of color. This is not new, in fact it has been going on for hundreds of years.  In this episode, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford talks about being open to staying in the con...

In therapy we participate in the conversation with people as they explore the potential for their lives. As a masterful therapist, Lori Gottlieb knows this work, but she is also an expert at something that is a bit different. She receives letters from people who need help in their lives. She doesn't talk with them, ask questions, or get to know who they are. Using only the letter each person sends...

Addiction and substance abuse are significant issues that affect a huge number of relationships. Unfortunately, many therapists feel incompetent to work with couples when this is a presenting issue. Dr. Bob Navarra sheds light on this matter by giving therapists a new way of thinking about couples and addiction. Bob Navarra is a master Gottman Therapist and has over 35 years of experience working...

When working with couples where one partner is a first responder there are specific issues to be aware of that can help make the work in therapy much more beneficial. Whether one works as a law enforcement officer, for the fire department, or as an EMT, there are common themes that can be extremely important for the partner as well as the therapist to understand. During this interview, Cyndi Doyle...

There is a growing movement of therapists who are using various social media platforms to connect with the people who need them. In this incredible interview with Silvy Khoucasian, we talk all about using Instagram in order to market your private practice. This is the second bonus business episode for the purpose of helping therapists grow their private practices. Silvy has been able to grow her I...

When we think about relationships, we often minimize how much work it takes to maintain the happy, healthy connection with our partner. We often feel like love should just come naturally or that if we are with the "right" person everything will just fall into place. What good couples therapists know is that being in a satisfying relationship absolutely does take a lot of effort. In this interview,...

One of the main issues that couples bring up in therapy is disagreements about parenting. The way people parent is often related to the way they were brought up by their own parents. That makes these ideals deeply ingrained and particularly triggering for people. Adding to that is the reality that we are impacting our children in a way that will affect them for the rest of their life. The amazing...

When it comes to doing online counseling a lot of therapists feel overwhelmed by everything there is to consider. On this episode, Clay Cockrell does an amazing job talking about all of the ins and outs when it comes to working with couples online. Clay Cockrell is a therapist in New York City. He gained a lot of publicity for starting to do walk and talk therapy in central park. His latest projec...

Sex is such an important part of couple relationships and comes up all the time in our work. Dr. Nazanin Moali gives couples therapists tons of insight into how to work with the sex issues that couples bring up during sessions. She is a Psychologist in California and works with couples and people struggling with addiction.  In her podcast called Sexology, Nazanin untangles the science of sex and p...

When it comes to making money in private practice, Joe Sanok is on the forefront of leading therapists to reach their potential. In this episode he talks about the risk involved in having a safe, secure 9-5 job, focusing on a niche, and making more money in your private practice. Joe is the host of The Practice of the Practice podcast and has a website that offers therapists tons of great resource...

Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy is the model that Andrew Christensen developed for working with couples along with Neil Jacobson. In his extensive work and research with couples he found that most couples therapy was focused around change. A primary difference in his approach is that it is focused on acceptance first.  Andrew Christensen has been researching couples for 35 years. He is a di...

In this episode of The Couples Therapist Couch, Shane interviews Mercedes Samudio about race and privilege both in society as a whole as well as how it impacts our work in therapy. Mercedes emphasizes how important it is to come from a place of wanting to understand, respect, and support. Often, people end up changing the subject and don't want to talk about the fact that power and privilege have...

Sometimes couples aren't sure whether they are ready to work on their relationship or not. When this happens it isn't appropriate to do traditional couples therapy until both partners buy in to the process of therapy. Rachel Zamore gives us a closer look at how to work with these mixed agenda couples using Discernment Counseling. This is the podcast for couples therapists that explores the practic...

Welcome to the third episode of The Couples Therapist Couch, a podcast by couples therapist, Shane Birkel. This is the podcast for Couples Therapists, Marriage Counselors, and Relationship Coaches to explored the practice of couples therapy. In this episode Shane interviews expert, Kerry Lusignan. Subscribe for more great content!

Welcome to the second episode of The Couples Therapist Couch, a podcast by couples therapist, Shane Birkel. This is the podcast for Couples Therapists, Marriage Counselors, and Relationship Coaches to explore the practice of couples therapy. In this episode Shane interviews couples expert, Mark Moses. Subscribe for more episodes to come.

Welcome to the first episode of The Couples Therapist Couch, a podcast by couples therapist, Shane Birkel. This is the podcast for Couples Therapists, Marriage Counselors, and Relationship Coaches to explore the practice of couples therapy. This episode is with expert therapist, Margaret Thompson and explored the Art of Couples Therapy. Subscribe for more great episodes to come.