The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy

Interpersonal Branding - Therapist Marketing That Aligns With Who You Are: An interview with Carrie Wiita Curt and Katie chat with Carrie Wiita about authenticity, first impressions, and why traditional business coaching doesn’t work for most therapists. Carrie critiques traditional business coaching models that rely on anecdotal “success stories” and mindset hype, and instead offers a relational,...

Special Episode: Modern Therapist’s Consumer Guide on JotPsych Curt and Katie talk with Nate Peereboom, CEO and co-founder of JotPsych, an AI-powered scribe designed to automate therapy notes and save therapists 90–95% of their note-taking time. Jot Psych supports over 30 languages, integrates with many EHRs, and prioritizes security and privacy. In this conversation, we dive into how AI can suppo...

When Laws and Ethics Conflict: Civil Disobedience, Social Justice, and Our Role as Therapists Curt and Katie chat about what happens when legal requirements clash with ethical responsibilities—and how therapists can stay grounded in their values while navigating complex decisions. When you find yourself in a situation where the law seems to contradict your ethics, or even violate your clients’ bas...

Reproductive Mental Health, Intersectionality, and Systemic Barriers: An interview with Dr. Loree Johnson Curt and Katie chat with Dr. Loree Johnson about the intersections of reproductive mental health, race, and systemic injustice. Dr. Johnson shared powerful insights about the shame, grief, and medical trauma that many clients face, especially Black women and other folks from historically margi...

What Therapists Need to Know to Support the Trans Community: An interview with Artie Hartsell Curt and Katie chat with Artie Hartsell from ACLU North Carolina about how current anti-trans policies are impacting the trans community. We explore the historical erasure of trans identities, the rise of anti-trans legislation, and the real-world impact on housing, medical care, and documentation. Artie...

What Should Not Be Normalized in Our Profession? Curt and Katie chat about a discussion that came up in the Modern Therapists Facebook group – What is something that you wish other therapists would stop pretending is normal. We explore the normalization of waiting until license renewal for CE, balancing accountability without chastising clients, and acknowledging countertransference in therapy. We...

How Can Therapists Accept (and Impact) Technology?: An interview with Dr. David Cooper Curt and Katie chat with Dr. David Cooper of Therapists in Tech to explore the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in therapy. Dr. Cooper highlights the importance of tech literacy, privacy, and security in digital mental health while advocating for therapists to use AI as a tool for efficiency rather...

Reviewing a Disciplinary Case on Suicidality, Erotic Transference, and Between-Session Communication: How do therapists hold appropriate boundaries? Curt and Katie chat about a disciplinary case against Dr. Eric Bergeman, highlighting key ethical concerns for therapists. They explore documentation practices, therapist responsibilities, and boundary management, particularly in cases involving suici...

What Therapists Need to Know About Immigration: An interview with Andy Strait Curt and Katie chat with Andy R. Strait, Esq., about immigration policies, mental health, and the role of therapists in supporting immigrant clients. They explore legal challenges, asylum cases, and the impact of fear-driven policies on mental health. Strait emphasizes the importance of legal representation, knowing one’...

Reacting to Regime Change: How Therapists Can Advocate for our Clients and Communities Curt and Katie chat about how the United States has shifted since the inauguration of President Trump. We look at how therapists can advocate for their clients and the communities they serve and/or live in. We look at strategies for therapists to stay informed, provide vetted resources, and be present for client...

When Your Client Dies By Suicide: An interview with Dr. Nina Gutin Curt and Katie chat with Nina J. Gutin, Ph. D. about to discuss the emotional, professional, and systemic impact of client suicide on clinicians. We break down the common reactions of guilt and blame, highlight the importance of postvention support, and explore strategies to navigate grief and maintain clinical confidence. Transcri...

Stop Wasting Your Time on Awareness Campaigns Curt and Katie chat about the limitations of performative awareness campaigns and the need for action-oriented advocacy. Inspired by the article Stop Raising Awareness Already by Ann Christiano and Annie Niemand, they critique viral campaigns like Kony 2012 and the CDC’s zombie apocalypse campaign, highlighting the importance of targeting the right aud...

MFTs Providing Therapy Across State Lines Through License Portability in the United States: An interview with Roger Smith Curt and Katie chat with Roger Smith, Chief Advocacy Officer and General Counsel for American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, about the challenges and progress in licensure portability for Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs). He explains why AAMFT opted for an...

The Advances in Artificial Intelligence for Mental Health: An interview with Dr. Alyssa Dietz Curt and Katie chat with Dr. Alyssa Dietz, a clinical psychologist and digital mental health expert, about the evolving role of AI in therapy. Dr. Dietz discusses how AI can enhance therapy by delivering evidence-based care, particularly in structured approaches like CBT, while acknowledging its limitatio...

Exploring Systemic Trauma and Relational Privilege with BIPOC and LGBTQI Couples: An interview with Akilah Riley-Richardson Curt and Katie chat with Akilah Riley Richardson, MSW about the challenges therapists face when working with BIPOC and LGBTQI couples. Akilah discusses the impact of systemic trauma, how it affects relationships, and the importance of creating therapeutic models tailored to m...

How Therapists Can Truly Help After a Disaster Curt and Katie chat about the impact of the recent Los Angeles wild fires on therapists, their clients, and communities. We explore the importance of self-assessment, responsible crisis response, and balancing personal care with providing support. From donating (and marketing) services ethically to understanding trauma timelines, Curt and Katie provid...

Helping Parents Become What They Needed as a Child: An interview with Bryana Kappadakunnel, LMFT Curt and Katie chat with Bryana Kappakunnel, LMFT about conscious parenting, discussing how self-awareness, emotional regulation, and healing personal triggers can help parents foster healthier and more connected relationships with their children. With a background in infant and early childhood mental...

Identifying the Graduate Program for the Career You Want – Special Series Becoming a Therapist: An interview with Eden Lathem In this new series, Curt and Katie interview graduate students and will follow them on their journey to becoming a therapist. Our final interview is with Eden Lathem, a second-year Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) student at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. Ede...

Becoming a Therapist as a First Generation Immigrant – Special Series Becoming a Therapist: An interview with Marvin Vasquez In this new series, Curt and Katie interview graduate students and will follow them on their journey to becoming a therapist. Our third interview is with Marvin Vasquez, a first-year Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) student at California State University, Northridge (CSUN),...

Finding Alignment in a Second Career – Special Series Becoming a Therapist: An interview with Iris Wilson-Farley In this new series, Curt and Katie interview graduate students and will follow them on their journey to becoming a therapist. Our second interview is with Iris Wilson-Farley, a 54-year-old trans woman and graduate student pursuing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the...

From Broadway to Grad School – Special Series Becoming a Therapist: An interview with Derek Isetti In this new series, Curt and Katie interview graduate students and will follow them on their journey to becoming a therapist. Our first interview is with Derek Isetti, a 50-year-old graduate student in a two-year Master of Social Work program at California State University, Stanislaus. Derek shares h...

What if you hate private practice? Curt and Katie chat about the realities of private practice and why it isn’t the idyllic career path it’s often made out to be. We dig into reasons therapists may dislike private practice, like financial instability, isolation, lack of accountability, and ethical concerns. We also share ways therapists can navigate these hurdles and find fulfillment in their work...

REPLAY - Outside Obsessions   We’re still on vacation, but we wanted to share one of our favorite episodes with all of you. We start with a quick reflection on the episode and what we’ve learned since it originally aired. Today’s replay is of Episode 95: Outside Obsessions. In this episode we talk about how to handle the hobbies and goals in our personal lives that can be all consuming, especially...

REPLAY - It’s Time to Think About Your Goals  We’re on vacation, but we wanted to share one of our favorite episodes with all of you. We start with a quick reflection on the episode and what we’ve learned since it originally aired. Today’s replay is of Episode 18: It’s Time to Think About Your Goals. This is one of our first episodes and you can see what we were working on for 2018. This episode i...

An ER Doctor Reflects on Gun Violence, Health Inequities, and Moral Injury: An interview with Dr. Ruby J. Long Curt and Katie interview Dr. Ruby Long, ER doctor and restorative justice advocate, about the devastating impact of gun violence in the U.S. and its designation as a public health crisis. Dr. Long highlights its rise as the leading cause of death for children and adolescents and shares th...