Mo Therapy

Mo Therapy

By Monique SimkovaHealth & FitnessMental Health
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Mo Therapy episodes

  • How I Got Over Imposter Syndrome and into Grad School

    Listen to my windy road of getting into Graduate School for Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling at the University of Puget Sound. For anyone experiencing imposter syndrome, know you aren’t alone!

    “I still have a little imposter syndrome... It doesn’t go away, that feeling that you shouldn’t take me that seriously. What do I know? I share that with you because we all have doubts in our abilities, about our power and what that power is.” ~ Michelle Obama

    “You don’t have to be an expert. No one is expecting you to be an expert. All you need to do is show up and be you.” ~ Ruth Soukup

    Any technique I suggest is an invitation, not an expectation. I am but a therapist in training and I say this because I want the very best for your mental health. Above all else, encourage yourself to be compassionately curious and try these things out to see what works for you.

    For more content check out my Instagram @Mo_Therapy

    Music by @MaxDugganMusic

    11 min
  • Role Playing Games in Therapy (Like Dungeons and Dragons)

    Summary of Podcast

    1. The Epidemic of Loneliness
    2. The Benefits of Using Role-Playing Games in Therapy
    3. Examples of How it Can be Used
    4. Any technique I suggest is an invitation, not an expectation. I am but a therapist in training and I say this because I want the very best for your mental health. Above all else, I encourage you to be compassionately curious and try these things out to see what works for you.

      “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

      For more content check out my Instagram @Mo_Therapy

      Music by @MaxDugganMusic

      References for your convenience:

      Game to Grow https://gametogrow.org/

      Aspiring Youth https://aspiringyouth.net/

      Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Dr. Vivek H. Murthy

      How People Matter: Why It Affects Health, Happiness, Love, Work, and Society by Isaac Prilleltensky and Ora Prilleltensky

      YouTube: How to Play PbtA (Powered by the Apocalypse)

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oDqlUWaJrg

      Acronyms:

      RPG - Role Playing Game

      TTRPG - Tabletop Role-Playing Game

      DnD - Dungeons and Dragons

      NPC - Non-Player Character

      DM - Dungeon Master

      GM - Game Master

      PBTA - Powered by the Apocalypse

      23 min
    5. Stress Reduction for the Win

      Finished up my first year of graduate school and practicum and here are some things I did to help reduce my stress.

      Any technique I suggest is an invitation, not an expectation. I am but a therapist in training and I say this because I want the very best for your mental health. 

      Above all else, encourage yourself to be compassionately curious and try these things out to see what works for you.

      For more content check out my Instagram @Mo_Therapy

      Music by @MaxDugganMusic

      For your convenience here are things I referenced:

      Ranier Pollard from Sugar Pop

      Ryan Heffington Sweatfest on Instagram

      “I Know You’re In There Somewhere” by Helene Brenner

      ABC’s of Inner Knowing activity by Helene Brenner

      7 min
    6. Tips for Grad School

      Episode Summary

      1. Understanding your syllabus and planning ahead
      2. Tips for people that have a hard time reading or writing
      3. Ways to prioritize working out and avoiding drinking
      4. Any technique I suggest is an invitation, not an expectation. I am but a therapist in training and I say this because I want the very best for your mental health. Above all else, encourage yourself to be compassionately curious and try these things out to see what works for you.

        "Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your identity. This is why habits are crucial. They cast repeated votes for being a type of person." James Clear 

        For more content check out my Instagram @Mo_Therapy

        Music by @MaxDugganMusic

        11 min
      5. Fostering Self Compassion

        Episode Summary

        1. Popcorn for dinner got me through some difficult times in my 20s but these days I eat food that is more nourishing so that I can thrive instead of just survive.
        2. Having self-compassion doesn’t make you lazy, in fact, it can help you to be more resilient and motivated.
        3. Developing self-compassion is like growing a garden.
        4. Any technique I suggest is an invitation, not an expectation. I am but a therapist in training and I say this because I want the very best for your mental health. Above all else, encourage yourself to be compassionately curious and try these things out to see what works for you.

          IG @yung_pueblo “Love is not: I will give this to you if you do this for me. Love is, I will give this to you so that you may shine.”

          For more content check out my Instagram @Mo_Therapy

          Music IG @MaxDugganMusic

          For your convenience here are works I referenced:

          Juliana Breines and Serena Chen, “Self-compassion increases self-improvement motivation” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22645164/

          Kristin Neff, Ya-Ping Hsieh, and Kullaya Dejitterat “Self-compassion, achievement goals, and coping with academic failure.”  https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/SClearninggoals.pdf

          Article: Make Self Compassion one of your new year's resolutions

          https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/make_self_compassion_one_of_your_new_years_resolutions

          Article: The Five Myths of Self Compassion

          https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_five_myths_of_self_compassion

          Essentialism by Greg McKeown

          Effortless by Greg McKeown

          16 min
        5. Hurt People, Hurt People & Self-Care, Saves People

          A short episode about the necessity of self-care.

          Any technique I suggest is an invitation, not an expectation. I am but a therapist in training and I say this because I want the very best for your mental health. Above all else, encourage yourself to be compassionately curious and try these things out to see what works for you.

          “When you mess up, which you will because you’re human and you will mess up gloriously. And when you mess up, you say “I’m sorry” and when you mess up again, you say “I’m sorry, I’ll try harder.” And that’s what love is for me, trying harder. Alok Vaid-Menon: The Urgent Need for Compassion. The Man Enough Podcast

          For more content check out my Instagram @Mo_Therapy

          Music by @MaxDugganMusic

          For your convenience here are works I referenced:

          Ira Glass On the Creative Process YouTube

          Alok Vaid-Menon “Beyond the Gender Binary”

          9 min
        6. Self Doubt Gets a Bad Rap Pt. 2

          Episode Summary

          1. I doubted my career choice so I became a metaphorical scientist, did some research, and resolved my self-doubt forever.
          2. Months later, self-doubt returned so I tried something else and that’s been working.
          3. Angela Duckworth and Brene Brown talk about the importance of perspective.
          4. Any technique I suggest is an invitation, not an expectation. I am but a therapist in training and I say this because I want the very best for your mental health. Above all else, encourage yourself to be compassionately curious and try these things out to see what works for you.

            “I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” Mark Twain

            For more content check out my Insta @Mo_Therapy

            Music by @MaxDugganMusic on Insta

            For your convenience here are works I referenced:

            “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.

            “Essentialism, The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown

            Podcast: Dare to Lead “Brene with Dr. Angela Duckworth on Grit and the Importance of Trying New Things.”

            Podcast: On Being “Oliver Burkeman - Time Management for Mortals”

            “Self Compassion” by Kristin Neff

            “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck” by Mark Manson

            26 min
          5. Self Doubt Gets a Bad Rap Pt. 1

            I’m going to talk about how my personal experience with self-doubt in Guatemala, a research study on ‘Self-Doubt Across Strata of Academic Science’, and how you can utilize self-doubt through three steps: acknowledging what you’re feeling, reframing your perspective, and connecting to a greater purpose. 

            For more content check out my Instagram @Mo_Therapy

            Music by @MaxDugganMusic

            For your convenience here are works I referenced:

            “The Work” by Byron Katie

            “Atomic Habits” by James Clear

            "Unlocking Us" Podcast by Brene Brown

            “A Man’s Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankl

            “Scientists and Self-Doubt Across Strata of Academic Science” by Joseph Hermanowicz

            “Get Excited: Reappraising Pre-Performance Anxiety as Excitement” Alison Wood Brooks a professor of Business at Harvard

            12 min
          6. Start with Why

            I'm excited for you to come on this journey with me as I finish my Masters in Education in Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling. Each episode I will give an Aha moment, a fun fact, and a question to ponder. Making mental health resources easier to access and sharing information about the path to becoming a mental health counselor or school counselor. 

            In this episode, I’m going to let you know a bit about myself and give you the why behind starting this podcast.

            Then, I’ll give a fun fact about psychologist Albert Bandura, and leave you with a question to ponder about the relationship between self-efficacy and self-doubt. 

            Any technique I suggest is an invitation, not an expectation. I am but a therapist in training and I say this because I want the very best for your mental health.

            "Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” Rumi

            References: 

            "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek (Book and Ted Talk) 

            Self Efficacy work by Albert Bandura 

            "Late Bloomers" by Rich Karlgaard

            "Atomic Habits" by James Clear

            "Unlocking Us Podcast" by Brene Brown

            Intro Music by @MaxDuggan (check out his IG!)

            Big shout out to @AkashThakkarAudio | Check out his podcast 'Sound Business' and YouTube Channel Akash Thakkar (I wouldn't have done this without your support!) 

            10 min

          About Mo Therapy

          From the publisher's feed

          Mo Therapy is all about cultivating curiosity & compassion to figure out what works and what doesn't. I’m a therapist in training for both Mental Health Counseling & School Counseling. On this podcast, I’ll share my Aha moments, mental health resources, tips for success, & the process of getting licensed. Whether you are becoming a counselor, interested in the field, or someone who loves to nerd out on personal growth, come along this journey with me as we move past limitations & make positive social change in society.