Whole Self Podcast

What is healthy submission and boundaries in marriage, and when can submission cross the line into control? As a group practice of therapists, we too often see biblical submission used in an unhealthy way. In this episode, licensed, professional counselors Sharon and Kayla discuss the cultural context and biblical understanding of love and submission, how influences in our current culture, like pu...

A re-release of an old episode! In 2022, we did a series called "Know Thy Trauma." Throughout multiple episodes, we discussed trauma and its components: generational trauma, attachment styles, triggers, and so much more. This summer, we're revamping our most popular episodes of that series! To start us off, we have part 1 of 5 types of narcissists. In this episode, counselors Sharon and Cait discu...

Professional counselors Sharon and Kayla are joined by guest Matt Owen, a counselor at the Moore Resilient Group, to discuss the messaging Western culture sends men and what boxes men can be put in as a result. They talk about gender roles, what men are taught about friendships and romantic relationships from a young age, how men are shown to handle emotions, and more. Lastly, they discuss what ef...

Low sexual desire in married women is a topic we encounter a lot in our counseling office, and is more nuanced than you think. Licensed, professional counselors Sharon Wegman and Kayla Seader discuss the factors that contribute to lower sex drive, like gender roles, purity culture, unequal labor divisions in the home, pornography, and more. This episode is a follow up to our episodes on The Mental...

Have you seen tons of posts on social media about narcissists, or people breaking off relationships with "toxic" people? In this episode, Sharon and Mandy break down concepts that have been popularized by pop psychology, like narcissism, gaslighting, abuse, trauma, and more to help bring clarity to what is true about these topics and what is not. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @wholeselfthera...

Pop psychology can encompass any psychological concept, diagnosis, theory, etc, that has been popularized in mainstream media. You might have seen some of the following terms on social media: narcissism, toxicity, gaslighting, triggers, codependency, abuse, or more. In part one, Sharon Wegman (MA, NCP, LPC) and Mandy talk about the rise of pop psychology, why it's so appealing, it's validity, and...

Chronic illness impacts not only our physical health, but our mental health as well. The lifestyle changes, dietary changes, relational changes, and more can lead to feelings of isolation, depression, anxiety. Individuals can also go through traumatic experiences amidst those changes and during the process of diagnosis and treatment, which can lead to PTSD. In this podcast episode, licensed, profe...

Trauma counselor Cait Beiler and former teacher Mandy discuss the nature of teaching and how it can impact teachers. They talk about vicarious trauma, burnout, and personalizing student behavior. They give practical feedback on what teachers can do when they encounter those things, and how teachers can manage their mental health.

In this episode, former teacher Mandy Kaucher and trauma therapist Cait Beiler sit down to discuss student behavior. They identify four main types of student behavior (the disengaged student, the outburst student, the defiant student, and the perfectionist), and talk about what how those might show up in your classroom and what you can do about them. Follow us on instagram @wholeselftherapists

In the follow up to parts 1 and 2 about the mental load and weaponized incompetence, professional counselors Sharon and Kayla discuss ways to go about talking to your spouse or partner about those topics. There are tips for having a successful conversation, examples of different types of boundaries, and more! Links: Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/43HAEed Set Bou...

In this episode, professional counselor Sharon Wegman is joined by former-teacher-turned-office-admin Mandy Kaucher to discuss how teachers can set boundaries, and the benefits of doing so. They discuss boundaries with administration, parents, students, and self, as well as things teachers can do to help stave off burnout and improve their mental health.

In a follow up to our episode on the mental load, licensed, professional counselors Sharon and Kayla discuss weaponized incompetence, and how that can be used in defense against sharing the mental load in a relationship. Weaponized incompetence occurs when someone attempts to not learn tasks, does them badly, or invalidates them to try and get out of doing them (whether intentionally or subconscio...

In this episode, professional counselors Sharon and Kayla discuss the mental load of women and how it can impact not only the person, but the relationship they're in. They talk about ways to start the discussion with your partner about the mental load to reach a place where things feel more balanced in the relationship.

In this episode, Sharon and office administrator Mandy discuss strategies for dealing with emotionally unhealthy parents as a follow up to part one. They also chat about new changes coming to their office that you can hear at the end of the episode! After this episode, we will be taking a hiatus from our podcast to focus on those changes, so make sure to follow us wherever you stream your podcast,...

An emotionally unhealthy parent is one who has never worked through their own past or childhood wounds, so they cannot handle hard emotions or feelings. They will often justify not having done so, and show a pattern of unhealthy behaviors and communication. In this episode, therapists Sharon and Cait describe the traits of emotionally unhealthy parents, and give examples of what you might see or h...

Professional counselors Cait and Kayla discuss what to do (and what not to do) to communicate effectively in safe relationships. They go through the tips in the book Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find--and Keep-- Love by Rachel Heller, Amir Levine and explain each step in depth and with examples. If you've ever found yourself wondering how to effectively com...

In this episode, counselors Cait and Sharon build off the previous episode about what kids are feeling when it comes times to go back to school. They discuss what anxiety is, how kids experience it, and how important it is for parents to be able to attune to their children's feelings to help them work through whatever they are experiencing. They give examples of how to attune, and then strategies...

In this episode, professional counselors Cait and Sharon discuss why children might start acting differently when August hits. They explain why kids might start feeling more anxious, and what anxiety looks like in kids who don't have the language or awareness to explain or name what they're feeling. Find us on Instagram @wholeselftherapists!

In this episode, professional counselors Cait and Sharon discuss how our adult views and decisions surrounding money were formed and influenced. While it is a topic sometimes seen as taboo or not something everyone wants to discuss, it's helpful to dig into our feelings and reactions around money- it can tell us a lot about ourselves and our beliefs. Find us on instagram @wholeselftherapists!

In this episode, professional counselors Sharon and Cait discuss how our relationship with food was influenced and how we might've formed our beliefs about it. They discuss the different variables, how to avoid passing unhealthy beliefs to our children, and how to break unhealthy beliefs tied to food. If you are in the state of Pennsylvania and are interested in scheduling with our counselor, Joan...

In this episode, Sharon and Cait follow up on the last episode about how parenting is triggering. They discuss what can trigger parents or caretakers in each age group of newborns/babies, 0-5, and up, and how we can cope when we are triggered. The book mentioned in today's episode can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Brain-Child-Revolutionary-Strategies-Developing/dp/0553386697/ref=asc_...

In this bonus episode, Sharon Wegman interviews Ann Bruno, M. Ed., CARC, about her specialty of addictions treatment, and how outside-of-the-box thinking can aid professionals in their recovery. If you are interested in Ann Bruno's program, The Sober Academy, you can get in touch with her through her email: brunoann1@msn.com or call/text: 520-370-9020.

In this episode, counselors Sharon and Cait discuss the big emotions we can feel while parenting. They explore the following questions and more: Why can we feel so riled up from our kids? Why can we feel like our bodies are on edge? Why do we want to shut down when our child behaves a certain way? Or have the sudden urge to yell? In the next episode, they explore how parents can cope with feeling...

Do you feel spent after a day at work? Do you find yourself unable to sleep at night, or feeling anxious or sick to your stomach at the thought of going to work? In this final episode in our trauma series, Cait and Sharon discuss workplace trauma. Workplace trauma has always been around, especially in jobs that deal hands-on with trauma (first responders, healthcare workers, etc), but since the st...

In this episode, counselors Sharon and Cait discuss medical trauma. They describe what it looks like, how it occurs, give examples of different types of medical traumas, and detail strategies for coping with it. For more, follow us on Instagram @wholeselftherapists