Thoughts from the Couch Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Candy Lawrence to discuss her personal journey with Bipolar Disorder.  Bipolar Disorder affects about 6 million people in the United States, but it is rarely talked about. Candy shares how her substance use affected her Bipolar II diagnosis and how sobriety was the missing puzzle piece to enhancing her mental health.  Candy remains vulnerable throughout the episode...

Statistics show that 1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted. Sexual assault is a topic we don’t typically shed light on. It can feel very uncomfortable to talk about, but it needs to be a conversation we get a little more comfortable having. In this episode I speak with Dana Caretta-Stein, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who shares her expertise in treating survivors of sexual assault. Dana provid...

In this week’s episode, I practice vulnerability by sharing my experience of being an adult child of an alcoholic.  Although hesitant to open up, I found it important to share this part of my story as it is relevant to many other individuals.  This episodes dives into:  How I learned my father was an alcoholic. My father’s adverse childhood experiences and their impact on his disease. Alcohol as a...

It's a normal part of life to experience occasional feelings of anxiety. Anxiety can show up in many ways, but when it starts affecting our everyday lives it can seem overwhelming and hard to manage. In this episode, I talk with Emily Johnson, founder of the Buddy Mind Coach App. Emily has personally struggled with anxiety and panic attacks throughout her twenties and she walks us through her jour...

In this episode, I chat with Dan Sokal, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in treating people who have been impacted by individuals in their life with narcissistic personalities. The topic of today’s episode really piqued my interest and I had to bring in an expert to share his expertise on how having a narcissistic parent affects our relationships and childhood experiences.  Dan pr...

This is a very special episode as I got to sit down with my supervisor to pick her brain on her area of expertise which is families and relationships. Families are your first source of social contact, they teach you how to live, how to interact with others, and how to make your way in the world. They are also the first group of people you learn to trust. As such, your family of origin is largely r...

Do you struggle saying NO to family members, friends, or romantic partners? Do you hold back because you don’t want to ruin the relationship?  Do you find yourself having trouble asserting your boundaries? Justine speaks to Licensed Professional Counselor Mary Beth Somich on how to understand and set boundaries in your relationships. This episodes dives into: Why boundaries are important for us to...

Most of us have gone through a breakup. A breakup can be one of the most stressful and emotional experiences in life. Even if it has been several months or years since your break up these feelings can surface and it’s okay to feel sad about it. In this episode, Justine speaks with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Darcie Brown on how to recover from heartbreak. This episodes dives into: The e...

I am so excited to share this podcast with you. My name is Justine Carino and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a private practice in NY. I work with teens, 20 & 30 somethings, and pre-marital and newlywed couples. I treat anxiety, depression, relationship issues and family conflicts. In this episode, I talk a little bit about my choice to become a psychotherapist as well as my motivati...