A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

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A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth episodes

  • 126: Bring Your Whole Self: Cultural Humility and Authentic Presence in Therapy with Gino Titus-Luciano

    In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky welcomes Gino Titus-Luciano, LMHC—CEO of Kokua Mental Health and Wellness Group, president of the Hawaii Counselors Association, and a therapist who believes you can't show up as a textbook and expect real healing to happen. Calling in from Honolulu, Gino brings insight into what culturally grounded care actually looks like and why bringing your authentic self into the room doesn't mean losing your professional boundaries.

    Together, Sindee and Gino explore how to balance being real with staying professional, why cultural curiosity matters more than competency, and what happens when a client's values directly challenge your own. Gino shares a powerful moment working with a client who rejected DEI principles—and how getting curious instead of defensive opened the door to actual therapeutic work. He breaks down why rigid treatment models burn clinicians out, how to know when you're over-identifying or under-identifying with a client's culture, and why caring for your therapists is the foundation of caring for clients.

    This conversation is full of permission to stop performing, real talk about vicarious trauma, and a reminder that reflection isn't optional—it's essential. Gino challenges us to ask whether we still love this work and to build practices where clinicians can laugh, bring their specialties to the table, and actually want to show up. Because sustainable therapy starts with remembering you're a person too.

    00:49 - Meet Gino Titus-Luciano: Leader in Culturally Grounded Care

    03:39 - Life and Practice in Hawaii: Culture, Cost, and Community

    05:51 - Hawaii's Cultural Melting Pot and What It Means for Therapy

    08:11 - Gino's Background and Identity: Shaping His Path as a Therapist

    10:06 - The "Customer Service Voice" and Cultural Code-Switching

    13:50 - Clinical Journey: From Autism Care to Prison Work to Private Practice

    18:53 - Building Kokua Mental Health and Wellness Group

    20:03 - Why Real-World Experience Before Private Practice Matters

    23:50 - Self-Care Struggles: Why Therapists Feel Guilty Having Fun

    27:14 - Balancing Professional Neutrality and Authentic Presence

    30:10 - When a Client Rejects DEI: Choosing Curiosity Over Defensiveness

    39:47 - Nevada as the "Ninth Island" and the Hawaiian Diaspora

    42:39 - Cultural Over-Identification vs. Under-Identification in Therapy

    48:54 - Expanding Access to Trauma-Informed Care Through Group Practice

    52:27 - Giving Clinicians Freedom to Lead From Their Specialty

    55:40 - Where Clinicians Need the Most Support Right Now

    01:00:30 - Final Wisdom: Reflecting on Your Path and Reigniting Your Spark

    01:02:55 - Connect with Gino and Kokua Mental Health and Wellness Group

    Check out Berries:

    Berries Referral Link: heyberries.com/?via=heart-centered Discount code: Sindee50 for $50 off your first month

    Shop Mental Health Threads: https://mentalhealththreads.etsy.com

    Connect with Gino Titus-Luciano:

    Gino Titus-Luciano

    Kokua MHW Group

    Connect with Sindee Gozansky:

    Visit my website: asimpletherapypodcast.com/

    Join the Heart-Centered Therapist Community FB group: facebook.com/groups/478651669638167

    Instagram: instagram.com/heartcenteredtherapist/

    YouTube: youtube.com/@asimpletherapypodcast

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sindeegozansky/

    Want to be a guest on the podcast?

    Email Sindee: [email protected]

    1 hr 6 min
  • 125: Profit Isn't Selfish: Financial Self-Care and Why Your Practice Can't Run on Empty with Carla Titus

    In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky welcomes Carla Titus—finance expert, founder of Wealth & Worth Within, and fractional CFO who helps practice owners build sustainable, profitable businesses. Carla brings warmth and clarity to a topic many therapists avoid: money. She shares how financial burnout starts with not paying yourself at all and why the "everyone else first" mindset is quietly destroying your business.

    Together, Sindee and Carla explore why profit isn't selfish, how to stop being scared of your own bank account, and the difference between revenue that looks good on paper versus actually having money left over. Carla breaks down her five-part framework—pay, capacity, cash flow, planning, and profit—and why you can't save your way out of trouble when the real issues are payroll structure and rent. She shares her detective approach to diagnosing what's broken in your numbers and why December coming every year should not be a surprise.

    This conversation is full of real examples, practical strategies, and permission to stop treating your business like a volunteer position. Carla's honesty reminds us that sustainable practice ownership means paying yourself with intention, learning about money in ways that work for your brain, and building financial self-care so you can actually sleep at night.

    01:29 - Meet Carla Titus: Finance Expert Who Champions Therapists

    03:58 - Financial Burnout: Why Practice Owners Aren't Paying Themselves

    08:08 - How Carla Found Her Way to Supporting Mental Health Practices

    10:59 - Real Stories: When Group Practice Owners Tap Out

    17:11 - The Numbers That Actually Matter: Payroll and Rent

    20:26 - The Five-Part Framework: Pay, Capacity, Cash Flow, Planning, Profit

    28:48 - How to Start Paying Yourself (Even If You Have No Profit Yet)

    34:43 - Seasonal Planning: Preparing for Slowdowns and Surprises

    37:09 - What Financial Peace of Mind Actually Looks Like

    41:31 - Learning About Money in Ways That Work for You

    43:47 - How to Work with Carla: Free Resources and CFO Services

    Check out Berries:

    Berries Referral Link: heyberries.com/?via=heart-centered Discount code: Sindee50 for $50 off your first month

    Shop Mental Health Threads: https://mentalhealththreads.etsy.com

    Connect with Carla Titus:

    Carla Titus

    Wealth & Worth Within

    CEO Financial Clarity Corners

    Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | TikTok | YouTube

    Connect with Sindee Gozansky:

    Visit my website: asimpletherapypodcast.com/

    Join the Heart-Centered Therapist Community FB group: facebook.com/groups/478651669638167

    Instagram: instagram.com/heartcenteredtherapist/

    YouTube: youtube.com/@asimpletherapypodcast

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sindeegozansky/

    Want to be a guest on the podcast?

    Email Sindee: [email protected]

    49 min
  • 124: Sustaining the Therapist Self: Values-Based Self-Care and Why Your Netflix Binge Isn't Working with Lorain Moorehead

    In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky welcomes Lorain Moorehead, LCSW—psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, EMDR consultant, and host of the Self Careapist Therapist Podcast—for a conversation about burnout, perfectionism, and why most therapists are doing self-care all wrong. Lorain shares how she reverse-engineered her own self-care after realizing her TV binges left her feeling worse, not better.

    Together, Sindee and Lorain explore how childhood wounds of "be the role model" drive our over-functioning, why competitive athletes can't just "work out" and feel restored, and the difference between self-care that fills you up versus self-care you think you're supposed to do. Lorain breaks down her detective approach to finding what actually restores you and why video supervision is the most powerful (and most avoided) tool for growth.

    This conversation is full of real examples, practical tools, and permission to stop doing self-care that doesn't work for your system. Lorain's warmth reminds us that sustaining ourselves as therapists means knowing what truly replenishes us, embracing imperfection, and getting curious about what actually resonates—not what we're told should.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    01:18 - Meet Lorain Moorehead: Therapist, Supervisor, and Self Careapist

    03:22 - How a Book About Bellevue Led to a Career in Mental Health

    06:32 - Early Experience: From Retirement Homes to Twin Research Labs

    09:10 - The Self Careapist Model: Reverse Engineering Self-Care That Works

    12:16 - Values-Based Self-Care vs. What You Think You Should Do

    16:27 - Rest Can Be Values-Driven Too: Puzzles, Patterns, and Repetition

    20:18 - Perfectionism, High Achievement, and Childhood Wounds

    24:27 - The "Role Model" Trap: When Fun Feels Like Failure

    30:25 - Supervision as Development: Beyond Just Meeting Requirements

    37:44 - The Power of Video: Why Watching Yourself Is the Best Teacher

    44:15 - Podcasting as Connection: The Self Careapist Origin Story

    47:58 - Final Message: Examine Your Self-Care with Hope and Curiosity

    Check out Berries:

    Berries Referral Link: heyberries.com/?via=heart-centered Use Discount Code: Sindee50 for $50 off your first month

    Shop Mental Health Threads: https://mentalhealththreads.etsy.com

    Connect with Lorain Moorehead:

    Lorain Moorehead

    Self Care Worksheet

    The Self Careapist Therapist Podcast | Apple Podcast

    Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

    Connect with Sindee Gozansky:

    Visit my website: asimpletherapypodcast.com/

    Join the Heart-Centered Therapist Community FB group: facebook.com/groups/478651669638167

    Instagram: instagram.com/heartcenteredtherapist/

    YouTube: youtube.com/@asimpletherapypodcast

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sindeegozansky/

    Want to be a guest on the podcast?

    Email Sindee: [email protected]

    52 min
  • 123: The Therapist as a Tool: Emotional Awareness, Boundaries, and Self-Care with Alyssa Scarano

    In this deeply reflective episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky sits down with Alyssa Scarano to talk about what it really means to care for ourselves while doing emotionally demanding work.

    While Alyssa's background in family therapy shaped her clinical lens, this conversation goes far beyond technique. Together, Sindee and Alyssa explore how a therapist's internal emotional experience — the frustration, ache, exhaustion, or even invisibility felt after a session — can become valuable information rather than something to push away.

    Alyssa shares a pivotal supervision moment that reframed her understanding of countertransference and helped her see that the emotions we carry out of session are often signals asking for attention, care, or boundaries. They discuss how therapists can learn to sit with emotion without absorbing it, and why ignoring our internal world is one of the fastest paths to burnout.

    This episode also offers a grounded, realistic reframe of self-care — not as spa days or perfection, but as discernment, listening to the body, and responding to what truly restores us. Alyssa opens up about what self-care looks like in her own life as a clinician, business owner, parent, and human, including how her yoga practice has evolved into something quieter, more internal, and deeply sustaining.

    If you're a therapist feeling emotionally spent, blurred at the edges, or unsure how to keep showing up without losing yourself, this conversation offers permission, language, and reassurance: your emotions are not a liability — they're part of the work.

    In this episode, we explore:
    • Using your emotional experience as clinical information rather than self-judgment

    • How feeling "invisible" or ineffective in session can reveal important relational dynamics

    • The difference between empathy and emotional over-identification

    • Recognizing when something feels "sticky" or achy — and what that means for self-care

    • Why self-care is about discernment, boundaries, and listening to your body

    • How therapists can stay emotionally present without burning out

    • Small, realistic first steps for bringing emotional awareness into your work

    • Why supervision and personal reflection are essential for sustainability

    03:56 - From "Never Doing Family Therapy" to Falling in Love with It

    08:20 - How to Track Family Dynamics: Seating, Body Language, and Roles

    16:28 - The Invisible Session: A Supervision Moment That Changed Everything

    22:06 - What Is Your Emotion Trying to Tell You?

    28:58 - The Stickiness and the Ache: Knowing When It's Yours vs. Theirs

    36:49 - Alyssa and Her Yoga: What Self-Care Actually Looks Like

    40:42 - First Steps for Bringing Emotional Awareness Into the Room

    44:23 - Where to Find Alyssa and The Collective Therapy and Wellness​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    Check out Berries:

    Berries Referral Link: heyberries.com/?via=heart-centered Discount code: Sindee50 for $50 off your first month

    Shop Mental Health Threads: https://mentalhealththreads.etsy.com

    Connect with Alyssa Scarano:

    Collective Therapy & Wellness

    Instagram (@live.collective.wellness)

    Facebook

    LinkedIn | Alyssa Scarano

    Connect with Sindee Gozansky:

    Visit my website: asimpletherapypodcast.com/

    Join the Heart-Centered Therapist Community FB group: facebook.com/groups/478651669638167

    Instagram: instagram.com/heartcenteredtherapist/

    YouTube: youtube.com/@asimpletherapypodcast

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sindeegozansky/

    Want to be a guest on the podcast?

    Email Sindee: [email protected]

    48 min
  • 122: Becoming Him: Freedom, Burnout, and the Gator Life with Dr. Jason Branch

    In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky welcomes Dr. Jason Branch—therapist, educator, podcaster, and self-proclaimed Gator—for a conversation about burnout, authenticity, and becoming the best version of yourself. Dr. Branch shares his raw journey through severe burnout as a new clinician and how an unexpected detour into bartending school helped him evolve into "Him."

    In this fun episode, Sindee and Jason laugh, get real, and go deep as they explore the beliefs that keep us stuck, the power of doing something different, uncomfortable, and new (DUN), and why most of us are walking around as Salamanders when we could be living as Gators. Jason breaks down his three parallels framework, the four P's of Salamander life versus the five C's of Gator life, and why therapists desperately need their own therapists.

    This conversation is funny, relatable and full of bold frameworks, concrete examples, and permission to stop apologizing for being you. Jason's energy, spirituality and wisdom remind us that healing requires becoming comfortable being uncomfortable, listening to your future self's whisper, and celebrating every single day.

    00:49 - Meet Dr. Jason Branch: Therapist, Professor, and Founder

    03:00 - Burnout, Vulnerability, and Becoming "Him"

    06:20 - The Three Parallels: Who We Were, Who We Are, Who We're Becoming

    12:06 - Going Deeper with the Junk Drawer: Tangible and Internal

    16:29 - The Four P's of Salamander Life

    19:47 - Therapists Need Therapy Too: Jason's Call to Action

    23:28 - Stop Apologizing and Stop Telling Yourself No

    28:40 - DUN: Different, Uncomfortable, and New

    36:08 - The Five C's of Gator Life

    41:56 - The ESPM Model for Self-Care

    43:20 - Jason's Burnout Story: The Job That Almost Killed Him

    52:11 - The Gator Lab Community, Resources, and How to Connect

    Check out Berries:

    Berries Referral Link: heyberries.com/?via=heart-centered Discount code: Sindee50 for $50 off your first month

    Shop Mental Health Threads: https://mentalhealththreads.etsy.com

    Connect with Dr. Jason Branch:

    Dr. Jason Branch

    J. Branch & Associates

    Instagram (@dr.jasonbranch)

    Gator Scales Journal

    3 Parallels Podcast

    Spotify | YouTube | Instagram

    Connect with Sindee Gozansky:

    Visit my website: asimpletherapypodcast.com/

    Join the Heart-Centered Therapist Community FB group: facebook.com/groups/478651669638167

    Instagram: instagram.com/heartcenteredtherapist/

    YouTube: youtube.com/@asimpletherapypodcast

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sindeegozansky/

    Want to be a guest on the podcast?

    Email Sindee: [email protected]

    56 min
  • 121: Holding the Holidays: Boundaries, Burnout, and Being Human as a Therapist

    In this gentle, heart-centered holiday episode, Sindee offers simple, grounding guidance for therapists moving through a season that can feel both beautiful and overwhelming. She explores how to set clear, ethical boundaries, how to approach crisis concerns with steadiness, and how to notice the early signs of burnout before the new year hits hard.

    Sindee also shares practical ways to support clients through family dynamics without diving into heavy trauma work right before a break—focusing instead on preparation, coping tools, and loving limits. Throughout the episode, she reminds us that therapists are human too, and that tending to your own energy is part of the work.

    If you're feeling stretched thin or craving a moment of grounding, this episode is a soft place to land.

    00:00 – Welcome and holiday reflections for therapists

    00:49 – Setting boundaries with clients and supervisees

    05:57 – Managing crisis and high-risk situations

    11:11 – Recognizing and reducing burnout

    15:46 – Practical tools and rituals to stay grounded

    17:27 – Supporting clients through family dynamics

    21:45 – Closing reflections and gratitude

    Check out Berries:

    Berries Referral Link: heyberries.com/?via=heart-centered Discount code: Sindee50 for $50 off your first month

    Shop Mental Health Threads: https://mentalhealththreads.etsy.com

    Connect with Sindee Gozansky:

    Visit my website: asimpletherapypodcast.com/

    Join the Heart-Centered Therapist Community FB group: facebook.com/groups/478651669638167

    Instagram: instagram.com/heartcenteredtherapist/

    YouTube: youtube.com/@asimpletherapypodcast

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sindeegozansky/

    Want to be a guest on the podcast?

    Email Sindee: [email protected]

    25 min
  • 120: The Phoenix Within: Radical Healing and the Power of Community with José Rosario

    In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky sits down with José Rosario—therapist, human rights speaker, and founder of The Phoenix Empowered—for a powerful and heartfelt conversation about radical healing, identity, and the systems that shape our mental health. Born to young Puerto Rican parents and living with cerebral palsy, José's story is one of defiance, resilience, and community. From being told as a child that he would "never accomplish anything" to becoming a leading voice in intersectional mental health, José shares his deeply personal journey of finding belonging and purpose through advocacy.

    Together, Sindee and José explore what it really means to "heal versus cope," how therapists can move beyond symptom reduction toward social change, and why difference is not a deficit but a source of strength. José also opens up about the founding of The Phoenix Empowered, his work amplifying the voices of BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled communities, and the revival of his podcast The Phoenix Unbound, a bold, unfiltered space for mental health dialogue.

    It's a conversation about belonging, community, and what becomes possible when we refuse to shrink ourselves to fit into boxes that were never made for us.

    00:00 – Welcome and Introduction

    00:49 – Meet José Rosario: Therapist, advocate, and scholar

    03:14 – Growing up with difference and early experiences of stigma

    07:45 – Defying limitations and learning to embrace identity

    11:31 – Founding The Phoenix Empowered and redefining "rising from the ashes"

    13:59 – Healing vs. coping: A call to change systems, not just symptoms

    18:32 – Understanding radical healing and its five pillars

    26:00 – Authenticity, belonging, and finding safety in community

    33:47 – Storytelling as activism and the power of shared narratives

    35:21 – The Phoenix Unbound: Creating unfiltered spaces for connection

    43:02 – Disability, advocacy, and moving beyond the deficit model

    47:37 – Advice for therapists: Playing, healing, and honoring humanity

    50:23 – How to connect and join The Phoenix Empowered community

    Check out Berries:

    Berries Referral Link: heyberries.com/?via=heart-centered Discount code: Sindee50 for $50 off your first month

    Shop Mental Health Threads: https://mentalhealththreads.etsy.com

    Connect with José Rosario:

    Website: https://www.thephoenixempowered.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thephoenixempowered/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thephoenixempowered/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-phoenix-empowered/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-rosario-b71817bb/

    Jose Rosario's Tedx Talk ""I hear you": The Psychology of Our Differences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9f7_W6j9oE

    Connect with Sindee Gozansky:

    Visit my website: asimpletherapypodcast.com/

    Join the Heart-Centered Therapist Community FB group: facebook.com/groups/478651669638167

    Instagram: instagram.com/heartcenteredtherapist/

    YouTube: youtube.com/@asimpletherapypodcast

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sindeegozansky/

    Want to be a guest on the podcast?

    Email Sindee: [email protected]

    53 min
  • 119: Finding Peace of Mind: Courage, Connection, and Healing with Jonathan Kemp

    In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky sits down with Jonathan Kemp—mental health advocate, entrepreneur, and author of Finding Peace of Mind—for an honest conversation about living with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, addiction, and dyslexia, and what it means to find healing later in life.

    Jonathan shares the many twists and turns of his journey—from working in the Australian outback and serving in law enforcement in the UK to completing a master's degree in international finance—all while navigating systems and self-doubt that told him he couldn't do it. His story is one of resilience, determination, and quiet courage in the face of chaos.

    Together, Sindee and Jonathan explore the stigma that keeps so many from seeking help, the quiet power of community, and the small daily foundations that support long-term stability. They also discuss his note-taking method, Smart Wisdom, and his upcoming mental health walk across the UK and Ireland—a journey that turns personal pain into service for others.

    Jonathan is an inspiring and refreshingly real guest whose openness reminds us that healing isn't about perfection—it's about persistence, humility, and learning to ask for help. His story offers deep compassion and practical wisdom for anyone navigating mental health challenges, showing that peace of mind is possible, even after years of struggle.

    00:00 – Welcome and Introduction

    00:49 – Meet Jonathan Kemp: Mental health advocate, entrepreneur, and author

    03:13 – Growing up undiagnosed and the lifelong impact of stigma

    11:05 – Reaching a breaking point and finally seeking help

    15:57 – Living through bipolar highs, crashes, and the long road to stability

    28:34 – Writing Finding Peace of Mind and building daily foundations for wellbeing

    37:55 – Smart Wisdom: Turning neurodiversity into practical strength

    43:24 – "Achieve Despite": Finding purpose through persistence

    47:50 – Words of hope for therapists and anyone struggling with mental health

    Check out Berries:

    Berries Referral Link: heyberries.com/?via=heart-centered Discount code: Sindee50 for $50 off your first month

    Shop Mental Health Threads: https://mentalhealththreads.etsy.com

    Connect with Jonathan Kemp:

    Website: https://www.viscountrochdale.com/

    Finding Peace of Mind (Book): https://a.co/d/5nTIRZc

    Smart Wisdom: https://www.smartwisdom.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathankemplondon

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathankemplondon

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Jonathankemplondon/

    Connect with Sindee Gozansky:

    Visit my website: asimpletherapypodcast.com/

    Join the Heart-Centered Therapist Community FB group: facebook.com/groups/478651669638167

    Instagram: instagram.com/heartcenteredtherapist/

    YouTube: youtube.com/@asimpletherapypodcast

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sindeegozansky/

    Want to be a guest on the podcast?

    Email Sindee: [email protected]

    55 min
  • 118: Your Pain Has a Name: Identity, Healing, and Compassion with Monica DiCristina

    In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky sits down with Monica DiCristina, LPC, therapist, writer, and podcaster, to explore the healing power of naming our pain. Monica shares her personal journey of living with undiagnosed OCD and intrusive thoughts, and how finding a name for her struggle became the first step toward freedom.

    Together, Sindee and Monica talk about separating identity from wounding, why coping behaviors don't define us, and the importance of listening to the "trauma whispers" in our daily lives. They also discuss the cultural pull toward quick fixes, and why true healing is a slow, compassionate practice rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

    This conversation is full of gentle wisdom, rich metaphors, and practical ways to turn toward yourself with curiosity and kindness. Monica's story and her book, Your Pain Has a Name, remind us that while we can't avoid pain, we can begin to untangle it—and return to the truth of who we are.

    00:00 - Introduction and Guest Welcome

    00:49 - Meet Monica DiCristina: Therapist, Writer, Podcaster

    03:10 - Your Pain Has a Name: The Story Behind the Book

    08:22 - Naming Pain vs. Labeling: A Compassionate Distinction

    10:21 - Separating Identity from Wounds and Coping Behaviors

    14:34 - The Myth of Quick Fixes in Mental Health

    19:08 - Listening to the Narratives We Believe About Ourselves

    22:32 - The Core Questions: Am I Safe? Am I Loved?

    27:26 - Sharing Her Story: Why Monica "Went First" in Her Book

    31:06 - Redrawing Your Family Map and Boundaries That Heal

    36:26 - Therapists' Takeaway: The Healing Power of Presence

    38:40 - A Gentle First Step for Facing Your Pain

    40:23 - Where to Find Monica's Work, Book, and Podcast

    Check out Berries:

    Berries Referral Link: heyberries.com/?via=heart-centered Discount code: Sindee50 for $50 off your first month

    Shop Mental Health Threads: https://mentalhealththreads.etsy.com

    Connect with Monica DiCristina

    Monica DiCristina

    Instagram (@monicadicristina)

    Your Pain Has a Name: A Therapist's Invitation to Understanding Your Story and Sorting Out Who You Are from What Hurts

    Still Becoming Podcast

    Connect with Sindee Gozansky:

    Visit my website: asimpletherapypodcast.com/

    Join the Heart-Centered Therapist Community FB group: facebook.com/groups/478651669638167

    Instagram: instagram.com/heartcenteredtherapist/

    YouTube: youtube.com/@asimpletherapypodcast

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sindeegozansky/

    Want to be a guest on the podcast?

    Email Sindee: [email protected]

    44 min
  • 117: Healing the Helpers: Emotional Labor, Boundaries, and Community with Kara Cruz

    In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky talks with Kara Cruz, LMFT, PMH-C, a therapist, supervisor, and community builder dedicated to "healing the helpers." Kara has created spaces like the Supervisor Circle and Therapist Group Bootcamp to support clinicians in their professional and personal growth.

    They dive into the emotional labor of caregiving professionals, how fear and self-abandonment keep therapists from setting boundaries, and why building supportive communities is essential to prevent burnout. Kara also shares her passion for group work, offering practical wisdom for creating groups that expand impact while strengthening connection.

    This conversation is a reminder that therapists are human too—and caring for ourselves with small steps and simple boundaries is the foundation of sustainable healing work.

    00:00 - Introduction and Guest Welcome

    02:40 - The Emotional Labor of Caregiving Professionals

    05:11 - Fear, Boundaries, and the Cost of Self-Abandonment

    07:51 - Kara's Journey to Supporting Therapists and Healers

    14:32 - Building Community Through Supervisor Circle and Therapist's Night Out

    25:05 - Kara's Path to Group Facilitation and Launching Therapist Group Bootcamp

    32:05 - Stepping Out of Comfort Zones and Finding Confidence in Group Work

    38:28 - Why Groups Matter for Accessibility and Connection

    42:12 - Kara's Practical Advice: Start Small and Hold One Boundary

    Check out Berries:

    Berries Referral Link: heyberries.com/?via=heart-centered Discount code: Sindee50 for $50 off your first month

    Shop Mental Health Threads: https://mentalhealththreads.etsy.com

    Connect with Kara Cruz

    Kara Cruz

    Instagram (@karacruzwellness)

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/karacruzwellness

    Connect with Sindee Gozansky:

    Visit my website: asimpletherapypodcast.com/

    Join the Heart-Centered Therapist Community FB group: facebook.com/groups/478651669638167

    Instagram: instagram.com/heartcenteredtherapist/

    YouTube: youtube.com/@asimpletherapypodcast

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sindeegozansky/

    Want to be a guest on the podcast?

    Email Sindee: [email protected]

    43 min

About A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

From the publisher's feed

A Simple Therapy Podcast is where real conversations and soulful insights meet the work of healing—for therapists, mental health professionals, and anyone on a growth journey.

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