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The secret evolution of therapists that nobody talks about in graduate school - from survival mode to seasoned professional, Maria and Liliana crack open the unspoken developmental journey that shapes our careers and lives as mental health professionals.

Remember that idealistic student who entered the field ready to change lives? Then reality hit - staggering student debt met with jobs (not careers) where you felt easily replaceable rather than valued. This episode compassionately maps the typical progression: freshly-licensed clinician in survival mode, licensed professional accumulating certifications, supervisor carrying tremendous liability, and eventually perhaps trainer or presenter sharing knowledge with others.

What makes this conversation truly revolutionary is the permission slip Maria and Liliana extend to every listener. You're allowed to change specialties. You're allowed to question your path. You're allowed to integrate your values, your understanding of social justice, and your life experiences into your professional identity. The days of therapists as "blank slates" are long gone - we recognize now that political, economic and social realities exist in the therapy room whether acknowledged or not.

Take a moment to appreciate how far you've come, assess whether your current position aligns with your values, and consider what might be next on your journey. Whether you're just starting out or decades into practice, remember that your professional evolution belongs to you - not to expectations, traditions, or economic necessities. Your next chapter awaits whenever you're ready to turn the page.

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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Professional identity formation is a crucial yet often overlooked process for preventing burnout and achieving fulfillment in the mental health field.

• Burnout symptoms closely mirror those of an identity crisis
• Many clinicians experience burnout within just 2-5 years of practice
• Professional identity involves aligning personal values with professional work
• Transitioning from training to practice requires developing your voice
• Navigating insurance systems often creates value conflicts
• Mixed messages from employers create professional confusion
• Finding role models helps shape your professional identity
• A strong professional identity acts as a GPS for career decisions
• Professional identity formation is an ongoing process, not a destination
• Diversity in therapeutic approaches strengthens the field

If you're feeling lost or questioning your career choice, remember there is a place for you in this field, even if you have to create it yourself. Take time to explore your values and find the environments that support your authentic professional self.

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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Liliana joins us to preview her two upcoming workshops at the SITH conference in Las Cruces this October, focusing on cultural humility in mental health and ethical supervision practices. Her unique approach combines her experience as a migrant, her passion for ethics, and her training across multiple supervision models to offer fresh perspectives that go beyond stereotypical checklists.

• Liliana will present two workshops: "Beyond Borders: Culturally Responsive & Ethical Care in Play Therapy and Mental Health"  and "Supervising with Caution: Legal Pitfalls and Protections in Play Therapy"
• Unlike typical trainings that focus on stereotypes and checklists, Liliana brings dialogue, unique language, and lived experience to cultural humility
• As an MFT supervisor trained in multiple models, she approaches supervision through diverse lenses rather than a single framework
• Ethics serve as Liliana's self-care - she literally reads codes of ethics for fun and actively participates in revising them
• Both cultural competence and ethics require continuous learning as they constantly evolve
• Having ethical guidelines helps clinicians manage anxiety when facing challenging cases
• The SITH conference is filling up quickly - registration information is available in the show notes

Register for the SITH conference today to experience these workshops and connect with Liliana and other mental health professionals in Las Cruces this October.

https://www.anewhopeacademy.org/sith25

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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Maria introduces the SITH (Supportive Innovation for Therapeutic Heroes) conference, taking place in Las Cruces this October, featuring her session, "Rooted and Resilient: Healing Ourselves While we Heal Systems."

• SITH conference provides in-person learning with a fun, geeky pop culture vibe for therapists
• Maria's session focuses on therapist self-healing while working in depleting systems
• Conference specifically addresses court-involved cases and high-stress clinical situations
• Session will explore expressive arts, journaling, and sand work as self-healing modalities
• Honest discussions about systems that make clinical work difficult, including sociopolitical and family systems
• Opportunity for clinicians to replenish personal resources needed to sustain their work

Register now through the link in the podcast description to join us at the SITH conference!
https://www.anewhopeacademy.org/sith25

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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We welcome special guest Val to discuss her upcoming session at the SITH Conference, which focuses on helping clinicians navigate the legal arena with confidence. Val shares her expertise as a translator between the therapeutic world and legal settings, helping therapists understand how to effectively advocate for their clients in court.

• SITH (Supportive Innovations for Therapeutic Heroes) is an in-person conference in Las Cruces, New Mexico, October 9-11
• This year's conference focuses on the legal arena and court-involved cases
• Val will present on "The Legal Arena: Playing by the Rules and Advocating for Clients Through Play Therapy"
• Most clinicians feel intimidated by court appearances due to a lack of training
• Val has 14 years of experience as an expert witness and writing reports for legal cases
• The session will help clinicians understand proper documentation that works for both insurance and court
• Val specializes in working with neurodivergent children, adding another layer to her expertise
• The conference will be held at the Blue Door Venue in Mesilla
• Food trucks will provide meals with options for dietary restrictions
• Special swag, including unique stress toys, will be provided

Register now through the link below the podcast to secure your spot at the SITH Conference.
https://www.anewhopeacademy.org/sith25

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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We delve into the upcoming SITH Conference (Supportive Innovations for Therapeutic Heroes) taking place October 9-11 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with a special focus on court-involved cases and family systems work in play therapy.

• Jenny discusses her conference session "The Force Within the Family" focusing on family dynamics in play therapy
• Importance of working with the entire family system rather than just the child in therapy
• How to engage with the trifecta of home, school, and therapy for lasting change
• Special focus on LGBTQ+ affirming approaches to family therapy
• Discussion of chosen families and support systems beyond biological relationships
• Conference will include experiential learning in a courthouse with mock testimony practice
• Event features southwestern cuisine and networking with play therapy professionals
• Registration still open with conference swag and meals included

Join us at the SITH Conference this October to enhance your skills working with families and court-involved cases. Registration information is available in the episode description.

Registration: https://www.anewhopeacademy.org/sith25

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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How do we honor therapeutic boundaries while truly meeting clients where they are? In this thought-provoking reunion episode with Dr. Dana Weiss, we explore the delicate dance between ethical practice and therapeutic flexibility.

Dana shares a compelling case study of working with a client in a domestic violence situation who splits time between countries, illustrating the complex decisions therapists face when standard practices don't fit unique client circumstances. Rather than rigid adherence to convention, Dana demonstrates how thoughtful adaptation—increasing session frequency when the client is available, creating personalized therapeutic tools, and maintaining clear communication about boundaries—can transform treatment outcomes.

The conversation challenges the profession's sometimes inflexible approach to therapy. As Dana notes, "These theories were created in a time that no longer exists." We discuss how meaningful therapy sometimes looks nothing like textbook examples—from sessions spent in healing silence to therapeutic humor through "Snarky Coloring Pages." This isn't about abandoning ethical foundations but recognizing that human healing rarely follows predictable patterns.

We explore practical approaches to documentation, scheduling flexibility, and navigating boundaries when clients have complex attachment needs. Throughout, Dana emphasizes the critical role of supervision and consultation as safeguards that allow therapists to work creatively while maintaining ethical practice.

Whether you're a seasoned clinician or new to the field, this episode offers permission to question rigid therapeutic structures while honoring the profession's ethical foundations. After all, as we discuss, we're "in a helping profession, helping messy people with messy lives"—and that requires both structure and adaptability.

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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Few therapists willingly choose to work with high-conflict divorce cases. The fear of subpoenas, licensing board complaints, and getting caught in legal crossfire keeps many clinicians from helping the families who may need them most. But Berenice Leon Fonseca sees things differently.

Drawing from her unique background in law and family therapy, Berenice illuminates the path for therapists who want to serve families navigating the painful journey of separation but feel intimidated by court involvement. She challenges the profession's tendency toward fear-based avoidance, asking a powerful question: "When we hear somebody impacted by systems and say no because we're afraid of what might happen to us, doesn't that contradict why we entered this field?"

Throughout our conversation, Berenice demystifies court-involved therapy by offering practical frameworks, from establishing clear communication protocols with both parents to collaborating effectively with attorneys. She emphasizes that understanding each professional's role in the system, therapists heal, attorneys advocate, and courts decide, creates more precise boundaries and effective interventions.

The most moving moments come when Berenice describes her approach with children caught in these conflicts. By giving them agency in the therapeutic relationship and helping parents envision what true co-parenting might look like, she creates space for healing amid legal battles. Her powerful question to warring parents, "What would it feel like for your child to be in a room with both of you, not having to please either one?" often catalyzes profound reflection.

Whether you're a therapist curious about expanding your practice, a parent navigating separation, or someone interested in the intersection of legal and mental health systems, this episode offers invaluable insights into helping families heal during their most challenging transitions.

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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Demystifying the complex world of childhood trauma behaviors demands more than clinical knowledge—it requires a profound shift in how we view challenging behaviors altogether. Robin, a seasoned former therapist who specialized in supporting families of children with trauma histories, joins us to transform how we interpret behavior that seems baffling, dangerous, or personally directed.

At the heart of this conversation lies a powerful truth: all behavior is communication. Robin shares how this simple-yet-revolutionary perspective changed not just her clinical effectiveness but her entire job satisfaction. For therapists overwhelmed by children's difficult behaviors and the parents desperately seeking help, this framework offers immediate relief and a sustainable path forward.

Through accessible animal metaphors—the owl, watchdog, and possum—Robin translates complex neuroscience into language that resonates with both children and caregivers. These brain states, representing different nervous system responses, help decode why children behave as they do and what they're truly communicating beneath the surface. Rather than focusing solely on modifying behavior, Robin guides us toward understanding its protective purpose.

The conversation moves beyond traditional attachment theory, challenging the rigid categorization that has turned attachment into something to "achieve" rather than understand. Robin advocates for a more nuanced approach that recognizes even insecure attachments as brilliant adaptations to difficult circumstances—not failures to correct through shame or control.

For professionals feeling inadequate when faced with complex trauma behaviors, and for parents tired of being discharged by therapists who don't know how to help, this episode offers hope. Discover how curiosity can replace control, how understanding can replace judgment, and how small changes—just 1% different responses—can transform your relationship with the children who need you most.

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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Discover the transformative power of earned security in attachment theory with the insightful Clair Mellenthin, the brilliant mind behind Attachment-Centered Play Therapy. Clair unveils her pioneering research on the journey of registered play therapists, highlighting how their attachment histories deeply influence their professional and personal lives. This conversation offers a beacon of hope, emphasizing that early relationship patterns are not set in stone and can evolve through nurturing surrogate attachments like mentors and supervisors, showcasing the resilience of the human spirit.

We explore the significant impact of mentorship and its profound role in shaping successful careers in social work. Drawing from personal stories and experiences, the episode highlights gratitude to mentors who have acted as guiding lights, our "birthday candles" illuminating the path towards growth even in the darkest times. It’s a heartfelt reminder of the importance of positive influences and the encouragement to become the supportive figures we might have longed for ourselves, emphasizing that anyone can foster earned security through supportive relationships.

In the evolving landscape of supervision post-COVID-19, the necessity of authentic and safe relationships is more pressing than ever. This episode examines supervisors' challenges in connecting with newer generations accustomed to digital communication. By embracing a blend of emotional intelligence and innovative supervision training, inspired by thinkers like Brené Brown, we discuss creating an enriching, trust-based environment for growth. This conversation centers around the need for ongoing adaptation and learning to nurture secure, supportive supervisory relationships that allow supervisors and supervisees to thrive while acknowledging that trust and genuine connections are the cornerstones of such interactions.

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon