This episode is brought to you by Klarify: Turn therapy sessions into case notes instantly, on any platform. Over 150,000 notes generated for 3400+ therapists. HIPAA, PHIPA, & PIPEDA compliant.

In this episode, I'm joined by Ryan Yellowlees, a registered clinical counselor who was rejected by 48 out of 50 therapists. Their reason? "Uncomfortable" treating someone with chronic illness. Ryan's experience reveals a disturbing gap: a mental health field that trains therapists to be inclusive while systematically excluding 27% of the population.

Ryan brings four years of clinical experience specializing in chronic illness, physical disabilities, and caregiver support. Born and raised in Victoria, BC, they were told at age 8 by a pediatric neurologist that they wouldn't amount to anything. Instead of accepting that narrative, Ryan became the therapist they needed as a child and a disability justice activist fighting oppression in healthcare.

We explore Ryan's journey through a system that didn't want them. From being rejected by nearly every therapist they contacted to facing discrimination during their master's program, where practicum directors refused them clients because they needed to work remotely. We discuss diagnostic overshadowing and how medical professionals make dangerous assumptions about cognitive abilities based on physical disabilities. Ryan explains why discrimination and poor treatment, not the disability itself, cause mental health struggles.

The conversation challenges fundamental assumptions about therapy and who gets to practice it, revealing how ableism is embedded in everything from training programs to emergency care.

Chapters: 
(00:00:00) - When 48 Therapists Say No
(00:03:13) - Discrimination During Training: "You Can't Do In-Person"
(00:04:29) - Diagnostic Overshadowing and Medical Malpractice
(00:09:00) - Why Therapists Aren't Trained in Disability
(00:14:00) - The COVID Empathy Collapse
(00:20:00) - What Is Disability-Informed Counseling?
(00:27:00) - Medical Model vs. Social Model of Disability
(00:30:00) - Eugenics, Ableism, and What Society Needs to Learn
(00:32:00) - Disability as Part of Being Human

About the Host: Moody Abdul is the co-founder of Klarify and host of the Future of Therapy podcast. After experiencing how therapy and AI tools combined during a personal breakthrough, he became passionate about helping therapists leverage technology. Through Klarify, he's working to automate time-consuming tasks like case notes, allowing therapists to focus more on client care. The Future of Therapy podcast reaches over 65,000 therapists across North America.

• Website: https://www.klarify.ca/
• LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moodyabdul

About Ryan Yellowlees: Ryan Yellowlees, MC, RCC, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, disability activist, and board member of Every Canadian Counts, a disability advocacy organization, who lives in Victoria, British Columbia. They live with a progressive chronic illness called Duchenne muscular dystrophy and run a private virtual counselling practice called Life Empowered Counselling. They specialize in disability discrimination, ableism, chronic illness, physical disability, and caregiver support counselling. Their counselling approach draws from personal experience living with chronic illness and Disability Justice, narrative, person-centred, and strength-based perspectives.

• Life Empowered Counselling: https://www.lifeempoweredcounselling.ca

Recommended Resources:

• Untold Stories: A Canadian Disability History Reader
• Unravelling MAiD in Canada: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide as Medical Care
• The Rejected Body: Feminist Philosophical Reflections on Disability

This episode is brought to you by Klarify: Turn therapy sessions into case notes instantly, on any platform. Over 45,000 notes generated for 1800+ therapists. HIPAA, PHIPA, & PIPEDA compliant.

In this episode, I share a deeply personal experience that changed my perspective on AI and therapy forever: the moment I cried while reading a ChatGPT response that understood me better than my closest friends. I'm joined by Dr. Ingrid Söchting, Director of the UBC Psychology Clinic and clinical professor at UBC's Department of Psychiatry, to unpack what this reveals about the future of mental health care.

Dr. Söchting brings three decades of experience training therapists and treating patients with mood disorders, anxiety, OCD, and trauma. As someone who teaches professional ethics and supervises both psychology and psychiatry residents, she offers unique insights into the promises and perils of AI in therapy.

We explore how AI provided validation and insights that felt more profound than human conversations, yet enhanced rather than replaced my relationships with my therapist and friends. Dr. Söchting explains why this shouldn't threaten therapists but could revolutionize access to mental health care. We dive into the ethics of AI confidentiality, why human therapists have limitations too, and how technology might help us customize therapy approaches, from CBT to psychodynamic therapy, based on individual needs.

The conversation reveals how AI could help demystify therapy and make mental health support as normalized as visiting a dentist, while preserving the irreplaceable human elements of therapeutic relationships.

Chapters:
(00:00:00) - The ChatGPT Experience That Changed Everything
(00:03:30) - Teaching Ethics in the Age of AI
(00:08:00) - Can AI Enhance Human-Delivered Therapy?
(00:12:00) - Why I Felt More Seen by AI Than Friends
(00:18:00) - The Limitations of Human Therapists
(00:21:00) - Therapy as Facilitating Epiphanies
(00:23:00) - Vision for 2030: Demystifying Mental Health

About the Host: Moody Abdul is the co-founder of Klarify and host of the Future of Therapy podcast. After experiencing the powerful combination of therapy and AI tools during a personal breakthrough, he became passionate about helping therapists leverage technology to enhance their practice. Through Klarify, he's working to automate time-consuming tasks like case notes, allowing therapists to focus more on client care. The Future of Therapy podcast reaches over 58,000 therapists across North America.

• Website: https://www.klarify.ca/
• LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moodyabdul

About Dr. Ingrid Söchting: Ingrid Söchting, Ph.D., is a registered psychologist in British Columbia and the Director of the UBC Psychology Clinic and a clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UBC. She is the coordinator of the UBC Psychiatry Residency CBT Training. Over the past 30 years, she has specialized in individual and group treatment for mood and anxiety disorders as well as OCD and trauma. Prior to leading the clinic at UBC, she was chief psychologist in an outpatient mental health clinic in Vancouver Coastal Health. She teaches Master’s level course in the clinical psychology program at UBC and supervises psychology and psychiatry residents in CBT and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). Her book Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy: Challenges and Opportunities. WileyBlackwell (2014) is a complete guide to group therapy across mental health problems.

• UBC Psychology Clinic Profile: https://psych.ubc.ca/profile/ingrid-sochting/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingrid-sochting-273097136/

This episode is brought to you by: Klarify - Turn therapy sessions into case notes instantly, on any platform. 
Over 45,000 notes generated for 1600+ therapists. HIPAA, PHIPA, & PIPEDA compliant.

In this episode, I spoke with Angela Leong, founder of An Elegant Mind Clinic and creator of the KISSS Method. Angela shares her journey from feeling like a "black sheep" in her Chinese-Canadian family to developing groundbreaking approaches that integrate ketamine-assisted therapy, psychedelic integration, and multicultural counseling.

We explore the cultural conflicts faced by second-generation immigrants, particularly around filial piety - how putting parents above everything else can prevent identity development. Angela reveals how a single ayahuasca experience transformed her understanding of authenticity and led to her work with ketamine therapy. She breaks down the science: one ketamine session restores neural density equivalent to three months of SSRIs.

We dive into her work with polyamory and consensual non-monogamy, exploring why some choose multiple relationships and the surprising overlap with neurodiversity she observes. Angela explains why most people struggle with even one relationship and what it takes to truly surrender to love through her KISSS Method. She also discusses using AI tools like Klarify to enhance her practice while acknowledging AI's limitations in psychedelic therapy's metaphorical work.

Chapters:
(00:00:25) - Cultural Identity Conflicts and Filial Piety
(00:05:08) - From High School Struggles to Finding Purpose in Therapy
(00:09:15) - How Ayahuasca Changed Everything
(00:14:50) - The Science Behind Ketamine-Assisted Therapy
(00:26:00) - Using AI to Enhance Therapy Practice
(00:28:51) - Understanding Polyamory and Relationship Structures
(00:35:08) - The KISSS Method and Learning to Surrender

About the Host:
Moody Abdul is the co-founder of Klarify and host of the Future of Therapy podcast. After experiencing the powerful combination of therapy and AI tools during a personal breakthrough, he became passionate about helping therapists leverage technology to enhance their practice. Through Klarify, he's working to automate time-consuming tasks like case notes, allowing therapists to focus more on client care. The Future of Therapy podcast reaches over 53,000 therapists across North America.

• Website: https://www.klarify.ca/
• LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moodyabdul

About Angela Leong: 
Angela Ivy Leong, founder of An Elegant Mind Clinic in Vancouver, is a highly regarded psychotherapist and researcher who is celebrated for her holistic and transformative approach to healing. With extensive experience counseling thousands of clients, Angela has cultivated a deep understanding of relationship dynamics and intimacy challenges. This expertise inspired her to create the KISSS Method—a unique integration of Trauma Healing, Self-Actualization, Sex Therapy, Relationship Counseling, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy. Designed to help individuals overcome barriers to pleasure, intimacy, and connection, KISSS therapy delivers immediate and life-changing results.

As a Certified Tantra Therapist and Psilocybin-Controlled Trial Research Therapist at UBC, Angela seamlessly integrates innovative, science-based methods with time-honored therapeutic techniques. Her expertise encompasses couples and sex therapy, conflict resolution, sexual trauma recovery, and attachment healing. Angela is especially recognized for her work with individuals and couples, including those in polyamorous and LGBTQ+ communities, helping them navigate complex emotional and interpersonal issues.

Her specialized skills include addressing sexual dysfunction, consensual non-monogamy, open relationships, relational anarchy, kink/BDSM, infidelity recovery, and erotic template development.

• Website: https://www.anelegantmind.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelaivyleong/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leongangela/

This episode is brought to you by Klarify: Turn therapy sessions into case notes instantly, on any platform. Over 15,000 notes generated for 700+ therapists. HIPAA, PHIPA, & PIPEDA compliant.

In this episode, I spoke with Dayana, a registered psychotherapist who brings a dual perspective as both a couples therapist and dating coach. She reveals why seemingly trivial arguments about toothpaste caps or breathing habits often mask deeper relationship issues of resentment and disconnection. We explore how Disney movies and social media have created unrealistic relationship expectations, from "Prince Charming" fantasies to the rise of "sprinkle girls" seeking financial support without equal contribution. Dayana shares powerful insights on post-COVID communication breakdown, explaining why text messages destroy relationships and how isolation has damaged our ability to connect. She also discusses how AI tools like Klarify have transformed her practice by automating case notes, and we explore the exciting possibilities of using AI to better match people in relationships and therapy - potentially reducing divorce rates by identifying compatibility issues before they become problems.

Chapters:
(00:00:39) - Why Surface Conflicts Mask Deeper Relationship Issues
(00:04:17) - Modern Dating Challenges and the Scarcity Mindset
(00:06:18) - How Disney and Social Media Create Unrealistic Expectations
(00:12:19) - The Communication Breakdown After COVID
(00:20:19) - Running a Therapy Practice With Your Spouse
(00:27:18) - How AI Can Enhance Therapy and Relationships
(00:32:10) - The Future of Human Connection

About the Host: 
Moody Abdul is the co-founder of Klarify and host of the Future of Therapy podcast. After experiencing the powerful combination of therapy and AI tools during a personal breakthrough, he became passionate about helping therapists leverage technology to enhance their practice. Through Klarify, he's working to automate time-consuming tasks like case notes, allowing therapists to focus more on client care. The Future of Therapy podcast reaches over 43,000 therapists across North America.

• Website: https://www.klarify.ca/
• LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moodyabdul

About Dayana Romero:
Dayana is a Registered Psychotherapist with the CRPO in Ontario with over 16 years of experience in mental health and wellness. She specializes in relationship therapy, offering Couples Therapy through the Gottman Institute and Sex Therapy through the University of Guelph. As a certified Dating Coach and SYMBIS Assessment practitioner, she guides individuals through modern dating challenges and provides pre-marital counseling. Additionally, Dayana serves as a Mediator with the ADR Institute of Ontario/Canada, helping couples navigate separation or divorce outside of court. Contact: https://www.dayanamromero.com/

In this episode, I spoke with Michela, a therapist who combines traditional therapy with neurofeedback - a technology that helps people understand and work with their brain patterns. She shares how biological understanding can enhance emotional healing, with her clients often seeing 30-70% reductions in symptoms. We dive into fascinating discussions about the future of therapy technology, from using AI to help match clients with the right therapist, to automating the insurance nightmare many practitioners face. Michela offers a thoughtful perspective on how tech tools, from neurofeedback to AI, could help therapists focus more on what matters most - the human connection in the therapy room.

Chapters:
(00:00:00) - Understanding Therapy Through Both Heart and Brain
(00:05:00) - What is Neurofeedback & How Does it Work?
(00:13:00) - Brain Mapping: Making the Invisible Visible
(00:19:00) - The Insurance Challenge: Why Private Pay Matters
(00:24:00) - Quality Control in Brain Training
(00:28:00) - AI's Potential: From Notes to Client Matching
(00:32:00) - Reimagining Therapy with Technology

About the Host: 
Moody Abdul is the co-founder of Klarify and host of the Future of Therapy podcast. After experiencing the powerful combination of therapy and AI tools during a personal breakthrough, he became passionate about helping therapists leverage technology to enhance their practice. Through Klarify, he's working to automate time-consuming tasks like case notes, allowing therapists to focus more on client care. The Future of Therapy podcast reaches over 38,000 therapists across North America.

• Website: https://www.klarify.ca/
• LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moodyabdul

About Michela:
Michela founded Connective Brain Counseling in Denver, where she combines neurofeedback technology with traditional therapy approaches. Her integrative method helps clients work through everything from historical trauma to peak performance goals. She's also passionate about making therapy more accessible - training other therapists in neurofeedback through her online program and exploring how new technologies can enhance therapeutic practice. When she's not innovating in mental health care, you'll find her taking her dogs to the park or spending time with family near her hometown of Lake Tahoe.

Contact: https://connectedbraincounseling.com/michela/

In this episode, I spoke with Spurgeon, a Marriage and Family Therapist who challenges the modern Western notion that trauma is abnormal. Drawing from his 20 years of experience as an inner-city pastor and work with Indigenous communities, he argues that trauma has been humanity's baseline condition throughout history. We explore how narrative therapy and wilderness experiences can help people heal, and discuss why traditional ceremonial practices still hold profound relevance in modern mental health care.

Chapters: 
(00:00:16) - Defining Therapy Through Relationships 
(00:04:52) - Trauma as Human Baseline 
(00:11:10) - Adapting to Different Environments 
(00:17:12) - Wilderness Therapy Insights 
(00:22:16) - Indigenous Approaches to Healing 
(00:26:08) - AI and Traditional Practices 
(00:32:14) - The Future of Authentic Connection

About the Host: 
Moody Abdul is the founder of Klarify and host of the Future of Therapy podcast. After experiencing the powerful combination of therapy and AI tools during a personal breakthrough, he became passionate about helping therapists leverage technology to enhance their practice. Through Klarify, he's working to automate time-consuming tasks like case notes, allowing therapists to focus more on client care. The Future of Therapy podcast reaches over 34,000 therapists across North America.

• Website: https://www.klarify.ca/
• LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moodyabdul

About Spurgeon: 
Spurgeon is a Marriage and Family Therapist working as a clinical case manager at Regina/Treaty Status Indian Services (RT/SIS). With 20 years of experience as an inner-city pastor involved in prison chaplaincy and gang-exit work, he brings a unique perspective to therapy. Currently pursuing his PhD focusing on culturally appropriate informed consent in an Indigenous context, Spurgeon combines traditional clinical approaches with wilderness therapy and Indigenous healing practices. His work spans across clinical, wilderness, and culturally-informed therapeutic methods.

Contact: [email protected]

In this episode, I spoke with Simon, who runs a therapy practice focused on helping men. He flips the common belief that "men don't want therapy" on its head, showing how therapy services often just aren't set up in a way that works for men. We talked about simple but powerful changes that make a real difference - like letting clients book their own appointments online and creating an office that feels more like a professional workspace than a medical clinic.

We also dove into how therapy is changing with AI tools like ChatGPT. Simon shared a refreshing take on this: instead of seeing AI as a threat, he sees it as a way to help therapists be better guides for their clients. We wrapped up with an interesting discussion about knowing when therapy should end and how to keep the door open for clients to return when needed.

Chapters: 
(00:00:38) - The Reality of a Therapist's Workload 
(00:02:42) - Why Men Actually Do Want Help 
(00:05:21) - Making Therapy Work for Men 
(00:08:19) - Speaking Your Client's Language 
(00:10:37) - Using AI to Help Clients 
(00:20:52) - Training New Therapists 
(00:25:16) - Therapy: Craft vs Science 
(00:31:01) - When to End Therapy

About the Host:
Moody Abdul is the founder of Klarify and host of the Future of Therapy podcast. 
After experiencing the powerful combination of therapy and AI tools during a personal breakthrough, he became passionate about helping therapists leverage technology to enhance their practice. Through Klarify, he's working to automate time-consuming tasks like case notes, allowing therapists to focus more on client care. The Future of Therapy newsletter & podcast reaches over 27,000 therapists across North America, exploring how technology and new approaches are shaping mental health care.

Connect with Moody:

• Website: https://www.klarify.ca/
• LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moodyabdul

About Simon:

A Guelph, Ontario native, Simon holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Toronto. He later traveled to Europe to complete a Master of Arts degree in Clinical and Health Psychology and a doctoral-level research diploma in Experimental Clinical Psychology at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. His research and practice in Spain focused on the application of cognitive therapy in the psychosocial rehabilitation of patients experiencing persistent and distressing psychotic disorders.  

Returning to Canada in 2012, Simon took a position as the Lead Clinician for Mental Health at the Etobicoke Medical Centre Family Health Team. He has slowly grown his private practice work over the last decade, and recognizing a growing mental health crisis amongst men, has evolved his practice into Cogent, providing psychological services for men. His role includes direct service provision as well as the training and supervision of other mental health professionals. 

For more about Simon's work: http://www.cogentclinic.ca/

In this episode, I spoke with Radinka Jeyathas about decolonizing mental health care and addressing systemic biases, particularly for people of color and immigrants. We discussed how standard mental health practices often fail to capture cultural nuances and the full human experience. Radinka emphasized the role of therapists as guides and the importance of helping clients navigate broken systems while maintaining dignity.

We also explored the potential of AI in mental health care, with Radinka stressing the need for human expertise alongside technological tools. Looking ahead, she envisions a more culturally-aware approach to mental health that empowers clients in their healing journey. This conversation highlighted the ongoing need to improve our mental health systems to better serve all members of society.

Chapters:

(00:02:45) - Therapy as Guidance

(00:05:02) - Colonial Impact on Indigenous Communities

(00:10:55) - Bias in Diagnoses and Medication

(00:13:09) - School to Prison Pipeline

(00:19:50) - Challenges in Accessing Social Services

(00:28:28) - Fear of Technology in Clinical Practice

Host Links

https://www.klarify.ca/

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moodyabdul

Guest Bio & Links

Radinka Jeyathas, RSW, is a Canadian-Sri Lankan Tamil social worker with over a decade of experience and founder of Make A Move Life Counselling. She helps people navigate systemic barriers, cultural transitions, trauma, and relationship challenges by understanding their brain's thinking patterns and accessing their inner wisdom. She uses a unique blend of neuroscience, trauma-informed approaches, and psychodynamic social work to guide clients toward empowerment and self-identity. As a Tamil practitioner working across Ontario, Radinka brings deep insight into cultural nuances and systemic power dynamics, helping clients maintain dignity while creating meaningful change. For more information, visit https://www.makeamovelifecounselling.com/about

In this episode, I spoke with psychotherapist Ruthie Ayzenberg, who emphasizes the need to return to the communal roots of therapy. She argues that our fixation on security often leads to feelings of unsafety, fueling both individual and societal conflict. Ruthie advocates for a holistic approach that incorporates body awareness and nature, highlighting how reconnecting with the earth can enhance personal and collective healing.

Ruthie also discussed the role of technology and AI in therapy, acknowledging tools like ChatGPT as supportive but not replacements for human connection. She believes that therapy will continue to evolve towards a more integrated and communal practice, fostering deeper connections and healing within ourselves and our communities.

Chapters:

(00:04:34) - Healing Society and Individual Healing

(00:07:12) - The Importance of Boundaries and Listening to the Body

(00:10:08) - Reconnecting with Nature

(00:17:08) - The Impact of Technology and Social Media

(00:29:14) - Trusting in Human Resilience and Adaptation

Host Links

https://www.klarify.ca/

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moodyabdul

Guest Bio & Links

Ruthie Ayzenberg, LMFT, LPCC, PMH-C, RYT500 is a dedicated California-licensed psychotherapist with over a decade of experience and founder of Mental Fitness Therapy. She helps people struggling with anxiety, depression, insomnia, trauma, and pre/postpartum challenges to restore a sense of peace and clarity. She uses a holistic approach blending traditional therapy with the wisdom of yoga to align the body, mind, soul, and environment. Having lived in Russia, USA, and Israel, Ruthie has a deep respect for cultural uniqueness, and welcomes strengths, creativity, and spirituality into her therapy work. For more information or to connect with Ruthie, check out her website www.mentalfinesstherapy.org and tune into her podcast Na'aleh Yoga Nidra Journeys for Deep Rest+

www.mentalfitnesstherapy.org

https://naalehyoga.podbean.com

In this episode, we spoke with Rawda Tomoum, a British Columbia-based therapist, who advocates for a holistic approach to therapy that addresses the interconnectedness of thoughts, emotions, and physical experiences. She emphasized the limitations of a one-size-fits-all model in modern psychology and the importance of cultural competence, drawing from her diverse experiences across different countries.

We also discussed the future of therapy, highlighting a shift from symptom-oriented practices to understanding underlying causes of mental health issues. Rawda shared insights on how AI tools like Klarify can streamline administrative tasks, allowing therapists to focus more on client interactions. This conversation illuminated the evolving landscape of therapy, where cultural understanding and innovative technologies are essential for enhancing the therapeutic process.

Chapters:

(00:02:49) - Impossibility of one-size-fits-all approach

(00:09:09) - Guiding clients to reach their own decisions

(00:12:00) - Navigating cultural differences

(00:18:19) - Challenging the traditional view of couples therapy

(00:31:11)- AI can provide fresh resources for therapists

Host Links

https://www.klarify.ca/

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moodyabdul

Guest Links

https://www.tomoumcounselling.com/