The Thoughtful Counselor

Mike speaks with Ray Barrett on the practical hurtles of moving your counseling practice online during the Covid-19 pandemic. They cover choosing an EHR system, emergency planning, insurance billing, and much more. For more on Ray, links from the conversation, and then APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com . The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo...

Dr. Megan Speciale and Dr. Stacey Litam engage in a frank and honest discussion about how the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing, and shelter-in-place policies are impacting a less-talked about part of our lives: love, sex, and intimacy. The conversation explores some of the growing intimacy challenges people are facing with respect to health and safety fears, partner burnout, isolation, fina...

Raissa speaks with Dr. Lee Kinsey and Dr. Dee Ray about the many ethical and practical challenges facing counselors responding to COVID-19.  The conversation also includes a discussion on the need for individualized risk assessment and decision-making, approaches to adapting practice to align with the realities and limitations of telehealth, and a call for more research and resources related to te...

Mike speaks with Dr. William Snow on the nuts and bolts of moving counselor education online, the benefits and downsides of teaching online, and best-practices for educators and students. For more on Will, links from the conversation, and then APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University's division o...

Raissa talks with Lynn Redenbach and Greg Czyszczon about the field of Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) and the professional organization promoting IPNB practice and research, the Global Association for Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies (GAINS).  They discuss the definition of IPNB, the nine domains of integration, and principles inherent in IPNB approaches across clinical, educational, and orga...

In this collaboration with the Theory of Change podcast, Dr. Alfredo Palacios and Dr. Steven Gimbel discuss theories of humor, comedic moralism and ethics. Find more from Theory of Change on Apple , Google Podcasts , Spodify , or Stitcher . For more on Steven & Alfredo, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com . The Thoughtful Counselo...

Mike speaks with Dr. Janeé Avent Harris about her recent work on religious coping in African American churches. They reflect on the nuances of "positive" and "negative" religious coping, navigating theological questions in the counseling context, and collaborating with churches. For more on Janeé, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.c...

Mike speaks with Jessica Tyler and Alfredo Palacios on the experience of the imposter syndrome in counseling practice and education. They discuss the performance of counseling theory, presenting at academic conferences, and balancing expert knowledge with humility. For more on Jessica and Alfredo, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.c...

Mike speaks with Tony Rousmaniere on the origins of deliberate practice, the difference between knowledge acquisition and skills acquisition, and exercises for developing inner skills for clinical excellence. For more on Tony, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com . The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto U...

Dr. Megan Speciale talks to Dr. Robert Zeglin about how students, practitioners, and educators can participate in sexual health advocacy. Dr. Zeglin describes why sexual health and education advocacy is important for mental health professionals and provides practical strategies for getting involved locally and nationally. For more on Robert, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for th...

Mike speaks with Dr. Matthew Lemberger-Truelove on the complex interplay between theory and practice, the benefits and downsides of grabbing on to what is new and shiny in mental health culture, and the importance of context when developing and applying theory in practice. For more on Matthew, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit https://wp.me/p7R6fn-XcM.

Self-care is a journey. Dr. Gerard Lawson shares personal wisdom, guidance, and self-care strategies from his 30-year professional journey that counselors can call upon throughout their careers to move from merely surviving to truly thriving in their work. For more on Gerard, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com.

Carlos Castañeda and Amanda Pena share insight on Autism and guidance on how current and future mental health practitioners can feel confident, competent, and empathic to their clients who are on the spectrum. They also discuss comorbid symptoms people may experience such as anxiety, depression and trauma along with empirically supported interventions that may benefit people with Autism.  For more...

Dr. Oliver Morgan shares insights into the ways neuroscience has shaped his view of addiction and recovery. He offers practical applications of this learning, including trauma and attachment sensitive approaches and various evidence-based interventions that address family and community involvement in the treatment and recovery process. For more on Oliver, links from the conversation, and the APA c...

Mike speaks with Les Gura on applying ideas from his career in journalism and practice of narrative writing to the counseling process. For more on Les, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit https://wp.me/p7R6fn-XbH.

Mike speaks with Watiri Maina about the practice of hospitality in the counseling process, counselor education, and professional ethics. For more on Watiri, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com.

NOTE: This is the last episode of 2019 as we will be taking December off. We will be back with brand new content beginning January 2020. Mike, Raissa, and Alfredo reflect on balancing the demands of careers in counseling and counselor education with family life and keeping their sanity. For more about Raissa and Alfredo, links for the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit www.t...

Mike speaks with Stacey Freedenthal about how culture informs the way we as professionals approach suicidal risk assessment, how we have been trained to be "suicide police," and how we might learn to sit with pain before checking boxes on our assessments. For more on Stacey, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit the show notes on our website . The Thoughtful Coun...

Raissa speaks with Julia Basso on the many ways exercise supports physiological changes underlying well-being.  They also address ways to help support individuals' motivation to engage in more physical activity. For more about Julia, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit the show notes on our website . The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo...

Allison speaks with Dr. Chaya Abrams, LPC, LAC, on Historical Trauma—trauma suffered by groups of people, often at the hands of other groups of people—and "companioning" as a counseling intervention for Historical Trauma Response. For more about Chaya, links from the conversation and the APA citation for this episode visit the show notes on our website . The Thoughtful Counselor is created in part...

Dr. Megan Speciale interviews Dr. Margaret Nichols about her clinical experiences working with the kink/BDSM (bondage/discipline, Dominance/submission, and sadomasochism) community. For more on Margie, links from the conversation and the APA citation for this episode visit the show notes on our website . The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University's division of Con...

In this episode, Dr. Aaron J. Smith interviews New York Times Best Selling Author and award winning journalist Sebastian Junger on his time embedded with US troops in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan, coping with posttraumatic and transitional stress upon returning home, and how clinicians and researchers can support our Veterans in recreating a sense of meaning and connection in their post-mili...

Mike speaks with Dr. Tahani Dari on what community-based participatory research is, embodying humility in the research process, and how CBPR helps bridge the researcher-to-practicioner gap. For more on Tahani, links from the conversation and the APA citation for this episode visit the show notes on our website . The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University's divisio...

Mike reflects with Robyn Trippany Simmons, Meagan Thompson, and Hayley Rose on how their professional identities have evolved during the course of their studies and career. They discuss why professional identity is important, how it can be difficult to tease out how counseling is different from other helping professions, and what has been helpful as they grow in their identities as a counselors. F...

Priscilla speaks with Gary Kennedy on the subtly of ageism, gender bias and the accessibility of services, and addressing barriers to adequate care   for an aging population. For more on Gary, links from the conversation, and the APA citation for this episode visit the show notes on our website . The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University's division of Continuing...