"Jaxon and the Pharmacist"

In the world of therapy, forgiveness can be as tricky and complicated an area as just about anything else. How important is it from a mental health perspective, and what about it to tends to trip patients up for as much as it seemingly does? Perhaps more so than in any other episode, the "outlook gap" between therapist and patient is most definitely in full force between Courtney and Brian.

"Old school therapy" often held firm to the belief that patients shouldn't involve themselves in the process until they were truly ready to make changes. But many contemporary professionals will tell you otherwise. How effective are motivational tools when it comes to a reluctant participant? And should a therapist ever work harder than his/her client? Courtney and Brian discuss it all.

Productive therapy doesn't just have to come from professionals. Friends and family can similarly work together, and be there for each other. The tools accrued on a therapist's couch are best utilized when applied to and shared with those closest to us. With Courtney on vacation, non-professionals Brian, and special guest Ben DeCastro, hash it all of it out together.

In many ways, the focus on therapy typically revolves around what is (or isn't) accomplished at a session in the office. But the reality is, most of a patient's successes (or failures) primarily occur outside of that door. Extracurricular assignments, and the degree to which they are applied in everyday life, can sometimes make all the difference in the world. And if a patient isn't a willing participant, it can complicate matters.

Like any healthy relationship, trust, rapport and good communication are key -- not only in everyday life, but also behind the closed door of a therapist's office. What should both patients and therapists be looking for on this front, and at what point is it perhaps best to pull the plug and part ways?

Therapists often run into a tendency of some patients who at the end of an appointment make a significant and abrupt revelation with their hand on the doorknob. What drives this behavior, how counterproductive can it potentially be, and in what ways should a mental health professional handle and manage such behavior?

Progress in therapy can impact relationship dynamics in ways which could be met with resistance from others. Such changes aren't always welcome. For patients who struggle with this, what can a therapist do to help manage said situation?

Ben DeCastro is in for the vacationing Brian this week. #notmissedatall

The discussion du jour between Courtney and Ben revolves around in person therapy v. telehealth (due to social distancing), along with the reality of patients potentially bumping into therapists out in the real world as restrictions are lifted. How should that be addressed/handled?

In an age of instant gratification and short attention spans, patients often enter therapy seeking a quick fix -- when in reality, that journey can often be a much longer one.  Is there a middle ground? And if so, where is it/how can a therapist assist in getting said client in question there?

The job of being a therapist presents challenges even under the "best" of circumstances. So how much more complicated does it become when a patient is less than honest? Brian discusses instances in which he's been evasive while on the patient's couch. Courtney explains how she attempts to work around such obstacles from the therapy chair.