From Both Sides Of The Couch: Self-Awareness, Psychology & Mindfulness for Women

Hey friends! How do you heal and recover from a broken relationship? In today’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I am joined by The Therapist Brothers, Brannon and Tyler Patrick, both licensed clinicians, to explore the hidden trauma of betrayal and why infidelity can create such deep emotional wounds.

Join us as we unpack the deeper meaning of betrayal trauma, help you understand the experience of reality fragmentation, and offer insight into what healing, repair, and rebuilding trust can look like for couples who choose that path.

There is no quick fix for betrayal trauma. While we can be grateful for the confidence, strength, and joy we’ve regained, that doesn’t erase the pain we’ve endured. Both can exist at the same time, and healing often means making space for the full truth of our experience. Remember, life is good on the other side.

If betrayal has left you questioning your reality, your worth, or your ability to trust again, this conversation is for you. Join us as we explore what healing can look like after deep relational wounds in The Hidden Trauma of Betrayal: Why Infidelity Hurts So Deeply.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Brannon Patrick, LCSW, and Tyler Patrick, LMFT, are brothers and

licensed clinicians who help individuals and couples heal after infidelity,

addiction, and the trust rupture that follows. With 20+ years each in

addiction and trauma work, They also host The Therapy Brothers, a weekly call-in show where real people work through betrayal, shame, trauma, and addiction.

Connect with Brannon Patrick:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brannon-patrick/ 

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

Connect with Tyler Patrick:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-patrick-lmft-24488366/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.wandering.therapist/ 

Learn more about the Therapy Brothers!

Website: https://therapybrothers.org/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therapy.bros 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapy.brothers 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@therapy.brothers 

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development. 

Follow her socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/ 

Visit her website.

Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/ 

#BetrayalTrauma #InfidelityRecovery #RelationshipHealing 

Life transitions can leave you asking who you are when the old plan no longer fits.

In this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I am with Yessi Sanchez, filmmaker, producer, and host of No Map Included, for a shared conversation about pivoting, identity, grief, uncertainty, and what it feels like when life no longer follows the path you expected.

We talk about Yessi’s decision to step away from acting, my own experience of rebuilding after divorce, the importance of therapy and support, and the strange mix of fear and possibility that comes with starting over. If you are in the early stage, messy middle, or other side of a major life transition, this conversation is a reminder that you do not have to minimize what you are going through.

Listen to this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch: The Messy Middle of Pivoting with Yessi Sanchez

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Yessi Sanchez is a filmmaker, producer, and the host of No Map Included, a podcast exploring the creative journey from proof of concept to premiere. Through honest conversations and solo reflections, she documents the realities behind creative careers, including pivots, burnout, boundaries, reinvention, and the uncertainty of building a life in the arts without a clear roadmap.

Connect with Yessi Sanchez:

Website: https://nomapincluded.buzzsprout.com/

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

Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yessisanchez/

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development. 

Follow her socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/ 

Visit her website.

Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/ 

Have you ever felt like you and your partner are speaking completely different languages?

In this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I am with Keith Jordan, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and couples therapist with over 40 years in mental health, to talk about what actually breaks down communication in relationships and what it takes to repair it. We get into Gottman's Four Horsemen, Imago Relationship Therapy, the role of childhood in adult defensiveness, and an AI-powered app Keith built to support couples between sessions.

Instead of waiting until things boil over, what if you had the tools to catch it before the explosion? This conversation is full of them.

Listen to this week's episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch: The Hidden Reason Couples Keep Having the Same Argument with Keith Jordan.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Keith Jordan, LCSW, is a licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of New York.  After retiring after 30 years with the Orange County Department of Mental Health, he has devoted his time to a full-time private practice in which he specializes in couples therapy.  In addition to his private practice, he is the Founder and Owner of Couples Therapy Assistance Delivery LLC, and has a website, www.ctadeliveryllc.com, through which he provides information about resources for couples therapists, including an app called the Couples Therapy Assistant, or CTA. He created the CTA to help couples therapy clients increase the value of their therapy by having a tool to use between therapy sessions to supplement their work with their therapist. He is passionate about helping couples to have healthy intimate relationships.  Keith and his wife Jackie live in Poughkeepsie, NY. 

Connect with Keith Jordan:

Website:www.ctadeliveryllc.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-jordan-3a013b30/ 

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development. 

Follow her socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/ 

Visit her website.

Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/ 

#CouplesTherapy #RelationshipAdvice #FourHorsemen 

Have you ever felt like your sense of worth was something you had to earn - and never quite got there?

In this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I sit down with Dawna Daigneault, lead author of Understanding Self-Worth: A Guide to Worth Conscious Theory and Psychotherapeutic Practice, to explore what self-worth actually is and where it comes from. Together, we unpack the difference between lost self-worth and denied self-worth, why so many of us grow up building on the wrong foundation, and how birthright self-worth changes everything.

Instead of asking, "What did I do wrong?" try asking, "Was my worth simply not honored?" Because your worth was never gone - it was just denied.

Listen to this week's episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch: What Is Self-Worth, Really? Psychotherapist Unpacks the Science of Feeling Worthy

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dawna Daigneault, EdS, LPC, CCTP, is the lead author of Understanding Self-Worth: A Guide to Worth-Conscious Theory and Psychotherapeutic Practice. Her work focuses on helping people recognize patterns of denied self-worth and understand how those patterns shape the way they think, feel, and relate to others.

Website: https://understandingself-worth.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zestoflife-llc-0a116537b/ 

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development. 

Follow her socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/ 

Visit her website.

Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/ 

#SelfWorth #EmotionalHealing #MentalHealth

Hey friends! In this solo episode, we're closing out the three-part nervous system series with a deep dive into overthinking — what it really is, why you can't just stop it, and what actually helps.

Overthinking isn't a flaw or a discipline problem. It's your nervous system trying to solve for uncertainty and discomfort. This episode breaks down why that loop keeps going, why distraction alone isn't enough, and offers practical, body-based strategies to interrupt the cycle and start to feel safer from the inside out.

If you're exhausted from going around and around and never quite getting anywhere, take a moment for yourself and join me on From Both Sides Of The Couch.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development. 

Follow her socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/ 

Visit her website.

Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/ 

#Overthinking #NervousSystemRegulation #AnxietyRelief 

Hey friends! In this solo episode, we're continuing the three-part nervous system series with a deep dive into hypervigilance — what it really is, where it comes from, and what actually helps.

If your body won't relax even when everything is fine, if you're constantly scanning for what could go wrong, or if calm moments feel harder to trust than chaotic ones, this episode explains why that happens and offers five practical, body-based strategies to slowly begin to shift it.

If you're exhausted from always being one step ahead and waiting for the next bad thing to happen, take a moment for yourself and join me on From Both Sides Of The Couch!

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development. 

Follow her socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/ 

Visit her website.

Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/ 

#Hypervigilance #NervousSystemRegulation #AnxietyRelief 

Hey friends! Have you ever found yourself functioning just fine on the outside, but something still feels off? In this episode, Dr. Laurie Bruce opens a three-part series on the nervous system, exploring why feeling safe is not the same as having a stable life, and what that difference means for how we feel day to day.

She walks through three subtle but common signs of nervous system dysregulation: hypervigilance, shutdown, and overthinking, and why these patterns are not character flaws. They are adaptations. And understanding that is where real change begins.

If you have ever wondered why you can't seem to relax, why your mind won't stop, or why you feel flat even when life looks fine -- this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch is for you.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development. 

Follow her socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/ 

Visit her website.

Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/ 

#NervousSystemRegulation #EmotionalDysregulation #Hypervigilance 

Hey friends! Today, I'm diving into a topic that touches so many of us in deeply personal ways: family estrangement between parents and their adult children.

I walk through six relationship patterns I see frequently in my clinical work that quietly erode family connection over time — from treating boundaries as rejection and using guilt as a communication tool, to refusing to acknowledge past mistakes and talking more than you listen. These patterns apply to both sides of the estrangement.

I also speak directly to therapists about how to help clients begin initiating these hard conversations — and to individuals who are doing their own work, wherever you are in this process.

If you are estranged from a parent or an adult child, or if you're working with clients who are, take a moment for yourself and join me on From Both Sides Of The Couch — Why Family Relationships Break: What Parents vs. Adult Children Really Think.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development. 

Follow her socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/ 

Visit her website.

Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/ 

#FamilyEstrangement #ParentAdultChildRelationship #FamilyHealing 

Hey friends! Today, I am joined by Lydia Wasserbauer, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, EMDR-trained therapist, and certified trauma professional, to explore the unique mental health challenges that athletes face — both during and after their competitive careers.

Lydia draws on 12 years as a competitive swimmer and her clinical expertise to unpack the pressures athletes carry that rarely make it into the conversation: the anxiety and perfectionism baked into high-performance culture, the disordered eating patterns that quietly develop in aesthetic and weight-class sports, and the identity crisis that can follow a career-ending injury or retirement.

Whether you're a current athlete, a former one, a parent, a coach, or simply someone who has struggled with perfectionism, body image, or the question of who you are beyond what you do — this conversation is for you.

If you've ever felt like your worth was tied to your performance, or wondered who you are now that the game is over, take a moment for yourself and join us on From Both Sides Of The Couch — When the Athlete Hurts: Mental Health Beyond the Game.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Lydia Wasserbauer is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and Certified Trauma Professional (CTP) dedicated to helping individuals navigate through difficult life events and stressors. She works from a person-centered lens, offering an inclusive, compassionate, and non-judgmental space to everyone she works with. Her clinical focus centers around empowering and supporting you as you navigate personal journeys toward improved mental wellness.  She draws from a variety of therapeutic approaches, including person-centered talk therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness-based therapy.

Connect with Lydia!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-wasserbauer-lpc-19a347258/ 

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lydia.wasserbauer/ 

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development. 

Follow her socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/ 

Visit her website.

Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/ 

#AthletesMentalHealth #SportsAndMentalHealth #EMDRTherapy

Do you love someone who’s struggling—and feel like nothing you do is working?

In today’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, Dr. Laurie Bruce sits down with Gianna Yunker—a triple board certified family systems specialist, intervention professional, and person in long-term recovery—to explore what a modern, love-centered intervention actually looks like.

Together, they unpack why families get stuck in enabling patterns driven by fear, how to move from the role of fixer or warden back to simply being a parent or partner, and what it takes to help a loved one get into treatment—without shame, blame, or punishment. Gianna also shares real stories from her practice, red flags to watch for when choosing a treatment center, and the powerful letter-writing process at the heart of her intervention approach.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to support someone through addiction, mental health challenges, disordered eating, or other crisis patterns, this conversation offers both clarity and hope.

Listen to this week’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch: When Helping Hurts: Supporting a Loved One Without Losing Yourself

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development.

Follow her socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/

Visit her website.

Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/

Gianna Yunker is a triple board certified family systems specialist and intervention professional. She is the founder of Interventions With Love, a family-centered practice dedicated to supporting families impacted by addiction, complex mental health challenges, disordered eating, and other major life transitions. Gianna is also a person in long-term recovery and is passionate about helping families move from fear-based enabling to love-centered action.

Learn more about Gianna:

Website: https://www.interventionswithlove.com

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

FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/people/Interventions-With-Love/61555475775211/

IG Page: https://www.instagram.com/giannaiwl/

#Intervention #AddictionRecovery #FamilySystems #MentalHealth #Enabling #Boundaries #TreatmentCenter #FamilyHealing