Counselor Off The Clock

As the year ends and a new one begins, anxiety can feel like an unwelcome guest for many of us. In this episode of Counselor Off the Clock, host Lydia Thompson dives into the complexities of anxiety with special guest Amy Frew from Arcadian Therapeutic Services. Amy, a Marriage and Family Therapist and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, shares her insights on what anxiety is, why it spikes, and how to manage it with compassion and intention.

Together, we explore:

This episode is packed with actionable tips and heartfelt discussion to help you navigate stress and embrace the new year with confidence.

Check out Arcadian Therapeutic Services

Sponsor: Concord Family Counseling provides mental health counseling for the South Nashville area for children, teens, couples, and adults. They have trained counselors to help you reach your goals.

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This episode of Counselor Off the Clock explores the often-overlooked mental and emotional challenges of living with food allergies. While most people understand the basic need to avoid certain foods, few realize the far-reaching impact allergies can have on relationships, self-esteem, and overall well-being.

Developing a food allergy as an adult can turn your world upside down. Imagine having to re-evaluate your social life, your routines, even your most cherished food traditions – all because of a newly developed allergy. In this episode, we talk to Heather, a counselor who unexpectedly developed a severe food allergy as an adult. Heather emphasizes the importance of having a strong support system when living with food allergies. This is especially crucial for children who may feel isolated or "different" because of their dietary restrictions. Having understanding friends and family who are willing to accommodate their needs can make a world of difference. It's about more than just "safe food" – it's about feeling safe, accepted, and loved. Open communication and self-advocacy are also key to managing a food allergy. By being upfront about their allergies and clearly explaining their needs, individuals can help others understand how to keep them safe. Living with the constant worry and fear of judgment that often accompany food allergies can take a toll on mental health. Heather encourages listeners to seek professional help from therapists or support groups if they're struggling to cope with anxiety, isolation, or low self-esteem related to their allergy. Finding others who "get it" can provide invaluable support and a sense of belonging.Despite the challenges, Heather emphasizes the importance of finding joy and maintaining a positive outlook. This can involve focusing on the foods you can eat, discovering creative ways to enjoy meals with friends and family, and celebrating the small victories along the way. Ultimately, it’s about adapting to a new normal and finding ways to thrive, not just survive, with a food allergy.

Whether you are personally affected by food allergies or simply want to be more informed and supportive, this episode will give you a new perspective on the challenges and triumphs of navigating the world with dietary restrictions.

Find Heather Hargis: https://www.heatherhargismft.com

Counselor Off the Clock aims to make mental health conversations more accessible and keep you company while you grow. Join licensed counselor Lydia Thompson for thought-provoking discussions that blend professional expertise with a relaxed, off-the-clock vibe.

Sponsor:

Concord Family Counseling provides mental health counseling for the South Nashville area for children, teens, couples, and adults.

They have trained counselors to help you reach your goals.

Follow Counselor Off the Clock

In this episode of Counselor Off the Clock, we're diving into the crucial topic of the launch phase - a significant part of the transition into adulthood. Join host Lydia Thompson as she welcomes back Emily Kerlin, a clinician from Concord Family Counseling, for an insightful discussion on this important life stage.

Together, Lydia and Emily explore the complexities of the launch phase, addressing both the challenges of "failure to launch" and the process of re-launching later in life. This episode offers a unique peek into the daily conversations and insights shared at Concord Family Counseling, providing valuable perspectives for adolescents, young adults, and anyone navigating major life transitions.

Counselor Off the Clock aims to make mental health conversations more accessible and keep you company while you grow. Join licensed counselor Lydia Thompson for thought-provoking discussions that blend professional expertise with a relaxed, off-the-clock vibe.

Sponsor

Concord Family Counseling provides mental health counseling for the South Nashville area for children, teens, couples, and adults. They have trained counselors to help you reach your goals.

Follow Counselor Off the Clock

In this episode of Counselor Off the Clock, we’re diving into the often-overlooked topic of playfulness in adulthood. As we grow older, the pressures of daily life can make it harder to connect with that carefree, silly side of ourselves. But tapping into playfulness is essential for mental health, creativity, and even building stronger connections with others.

Join us as we chat with Sheldon Clark, an expert on rediscovering joy and play in our everyday lives. Together, we explore why being present is key to finding moments of silliness, how play can enhance our well-being, and practical tips for bringing more fun into your adult life. Whether you’ve lost touch with your playful side or you’re just looking for more laughter, this episode will inspire you to embrace the joy of being present in the moment.

Check out Sheldon at New Moon Rising

Listen to Sheldon Clark on Spotify

Listen to Iris and the Underdogs on Spotify

Concord Family Counseling is the sponsor of this podcast. They provide mental health counseling for the South Nashville area for children, teens, couples, and adults. They have trained counselors to help you reach your goals.

Welcome back to Counselor Off the Clock! I’m Lydia Thompson, your host and a licensed counselor, and I’m thrilled to kick off Season 2 with a topic that resonates with so many of us—perfectionism.

In this episode, I sit down with Doctor Katherine Cain, an assistant principal who shares her experiences with perfectionism both in her professional role and personal life. We explore how perfectionism is often tied to loneliness and discuss the importance of striving for excellence while also recognizing where your true value lies.

We also reminisce about my high school days when Doctor Cain was my teacher and how her influence helped shape my journey into counseling.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps others discover the podcast. Don’t forget to share this episode with someone who might benefit from it.

Find us on Instagram and TikTok at @counselorofftheclock.

On our last episode in this season ,Tina Parol shares her story of resilience starting with a traumatic event that allowed her the space in therapy to process and be safe. She talks about her immigrant parents and how that impacted her trajectory into a successful career. Before opening her own company, she toured the country as a pop musician all while struggling with body image, bulimia, and panic attacks. After taking a step back from music, she was able to start healing her relationship with her body. Two years ago, she underwent a major surgery to straighten out the curvature in her spine due to her severe scoliosis. In those dark moments of healing, Tina found hope and peace with her faith and re-examined her identity outside of her success.

Check out Tina Parol on Instagram

Donate to Music Health Alliance

Donate to World Spine Outreach

Subscribe to the podcast, leave us a review, and connect with us on Instagram and TikTok for additional content. 

This episode of Counselor Off The Clock is proudly sponsored by Concord Family Counseling, serving Franklin, TN, and surrounding areas. 

Visit ⁠⁠www.⁠concordfamilycounseling.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about their services. 

Thank you for tuning in, and remember: you matter. 

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On this episode of Counselor Off The Clock, we are exploring the topic of grief and loss with Shara Carter, a counselor and the owner of Shara Smile. Through her own experience, we spend time talking about “un-defined” grief which isn’t connected to a death or clear loss. Some examples would be loss of a hope or a dream or expectation. 

We get to a very sweet place by the end of the podcast about the beauty of grief. 

Follow Shara Smile:

https://www.sharasmile.com

Shara’s blog post on grief and loss

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Subscribe to the podcast, leave us a review, and connect with us on Instagram and TikTok for additional content. 

This episode of Counselor Off The Clock is proudly sponsored by Concord Family Counseling, serving Franklin, TN, and surrounding areas. 

Visit ⁠⁠www.⁠concordfamilycounseling.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about their services. 

Thank you for tuning in, and remember: you matter. 

Follow Counselor Off The Clock:

⁠⁠instagram.com⁠⁠  / counselorofftheclock⁠⁠  ⁠⁠

⁠⁠Tiktok.com⁠⁠  / counselorofftheclock⁠⁠ ⁠

⁠⁠Youtube.com⁠⁠   / concordfamilycounseling⁠⁠ ⁠

This is the first episode in our "At Home" series where regular people have a place to tell their life stories.

Alyssa (they/them) shares their story of resilience as they redefine their past through discovery of themselves.

About halfway through this episode, Alyssa gets brought back into their "story" of having to be "good enough". It brings this episode to a deeper level of vulnerability than either of us planned.

Every story deserves to be told even if it's not done yet.

This podcast is hosted by Lydia Thompson, a licensed professional counselor.

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Youtube.com/concordfamilycounseling

Welcome to Counselor Off The Clock, a podcast hosted by Lydia Thompson, a licensed professional counselor. This podcast tackles complex mental health topics in a more accessible conversation. So take a deep breath and let us keep you company while you grow. 

This episode, we have Kate Hickey joining us to break down what social emotional learning looks like in the classroom and how the foundations of SEL lead to future success for your child. 

We break down some of the myths of social emotional learning and actually get into a great conversation about failure towards the end of this episode.

Forbes: The Top 10 In-Demand Soft Skills To Learn In 2024, Based On Research

Ted X Old Hickory: Watch Kate with the theme Launch on 9/14/24

Buy Kate's book: Have Fun, Be Safe, I Love you

Check out Action Academy!

Subscribe to the podcast, leave us a review, and connect with us on Instagram and TikTok for additional content. 

This episode of Counselor Off The Clock is proudly sponsored by Concord Family Counseling, serving Franklin, TN, and surrounding areas. Visit ⁠⁠www.⁠concordfamilycounseling.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about their services. 

Thank you for tuning in, and remember: you matter. 

Follow Counselor Off The Clock:

⁠⁠instagram.com⁠⁠  / counselorofftheclock⁠⁠  ⁠⁠

⁠⁠Tiktok.com⁠⁠  / counselorofftheclock⁠⁠ ⁠

⁠⁠Youtube.com⁠⁠   / concordfamilycounseling⁠⁠ ⁠

Welcome to Counselor Off The Clock, a podcast hosted by Lydia Thompson! This podcast tackles complex mental health topics in a more accessible conversation. So take a deep breath and let us keep you company while you grow. 

Victoria Valdez, owner of Tri-Synergy Counseling joins Lydia on the podcast as we talk about TRAUMA (yay?). Please listen or watch with care. 

First, we dive into defining trauma and how you can identify trauma in your own life. Then we tackle somatic treatments of trauma including brainspotting, EMDR, and lens neurofeedback. 

*The audio on this episode is not ideal, but hang in there for the high quality content.

Subscribe to the podcast, leave us a review, and connect with us on Instagram and TikTok for additional content. 

This episode of Counselor Off The Clock is proudly sponsored by Concord Family Counseling, serving Franklin, TN, and surrounding areas. Visit ⁠⁠www.⁠concordfamilycounseling.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about their services. 

Thank you for tuning in, and remember: you matter. 

Follow Counselor Off The Clock:

⁠⁠instagram.com⁠⁠  / counselorofftheclock⁠⁠  ⁠⁠

⁠⁠Tiktok.com⁠⁠  / counselorofftheclock⁠⁠ ⁠

⁠⁠Youtube.com⁠⁠   / concordfamilycounseling⁠⁠ ⁠