On Episode 17 Matt interviews Michelle Young from London, Ontario. Michelle is the first and only Black/person of colour, Director of Service with the Children’s Aid Society of London & Middlesex (CASLM).  Her passion has always been using her voice to challenge oppression and the status quo in all areas of her life, so having the lead role in guiding the CASLM through a multi-year organizational change of embedding equity into the fabric of the agency, with a strong focus on addressing anti-Black racism is a natural fit.  

Michelle oversees the agency’s Indigenous Services Unit, which she feels privileged to do.  She was elected by her provincial peers to co-chair the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies’ Anti-Oppression Roundtable.  Michelle designs and delivers workshops and training sessions on equity, anti-racism and addressing anti-Black racism for the public and private sectors.  

On this episode we discuss:

-Child welfare practices and advancements
-The role of child protection workers
-How our individual views guide our assessments and work with families
-Cultural implications for assessing safety: co-sleeping, bathing, supervision of children, boundaries, car safety
-Equity, anti- oppression, anti-racism
-Black and indigenous children in care
-George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, Candace Owens
-Virtue Signaling & Slacktivism
-The importance of understanding trauma and history
-What can we do? Tips to be an ally, combat racism and continue these conversations
-Tips for managing burnout and vicarious trauma

On Episode 16 Matt interviews Greg Samuelson who is a Registered Nurse and Registered Psychotherapist from Toronto. Greg is one of the founding members of the Canadian Network for Compassion Focused Therapy and he runs a private practice called GPS Psychotherapy as well as works for the Mindfulness Clinic in Toronto.

On this episode we discuss:

-What is compassion focused therapy (CFT)
-Overview of psychoeducation, language and teaching from a CFT perspective
-The inner critic
-3 types of inner critics
-Using chair work with the inner critical voice
-3 flows of compassion and how to help clients build compassion
-Unique chair work interventions
-Breathing techniques and research
-Imagery work
-Compassionate colours
-Shame- three types from CFT perspective
-CFT for trauma
 -Burnout/vicarious trauma management and prevention
-Advice for new therapists

For more information about Greg Samuelson click HERE

For more information about CFT and the Canadian network click HERE

On Episode 15- Matt sits down with Social Worker and Sport Psychology and Performance Consultant- Brenley Shapiro about working with elite athletes and teams.

As the first female mental performance coach for the Arizona Coyotes in the NHL, Brenley brings a wealth of experience and insight in the areas of cognitive behavioural therapy, sports psychology and mental skills training on the show. In this action packed hour long interview we discuss;

-working with OHL and NHL players and teams
-her book: Fearless
-helping athletes who struggle with perfectionism and negative beliefs
-working with athlete's parents and advice for parents and coaches who want to support their athletes
-fixed vs growth mindset
-3 case studies from Fearless
-assessing draft prospects through psychological testing
-advice for athletes during the pandemic

For more information about Brenley, her services and her brand new training program- check out her WEBSITE

To see behind the scenes of the podcast- check us out on instagram 

We are back after a summer break with our guest- Michele McPherson for episode 14. Michele is a Clinical Social Worker, EMDR Therapist and certified Yoga Instructor. On this episode we cover:

-Basics and principles of yoga, meditation, mindfulness, trauma sensitive yoga
-Considerations and launguage when working with trauma survivors and clients who dissociate
-Introductory poses for clients new to yoga
-Crossover between yoga and EMDR
-How to weave yoga into the 8 phases of EMDR
-Practical and useful breathing exercises

Big shoutout to The Institute for Creative Mindfulness for their progressive and unique trainings and services. To learn more about them check out their WEBSITE

For behind the scenes content and photos of the podcast, check us out on Instagram

For more information about our guest- Michele McPherson check out her bio and services HERE

On Episode 13 we take a step back from the clinical aspects of social work and psychotherapy and talk about the back end of running a private practice and a small business with the founder and CEO of OWL Practice- Andrew Sloss. 

Andrew talks about his history in the tech and business field and how his skills helped to launch his wife’s private practice and take care of all of her administrative needs while simultaneously building the platform for OWL Practice.

We talk about OWL’s platform but in a general way we discuss an overview of the important aspects of running a practice including managing your calendar, invoicing, file storage, sliding fee scales, compliance and confidentiality and having conversations with clients about billing and payment. On this episode we discuss hiccups that add unnecessary time and resources as well as how the pandemic may impact running your businesses. 

Finally, Andrew outlines what to look for when choosing a video conferencing software and how it is determined if a platform is PHIPA or HIPAA compliant. 

If you want to learn more about OWL practice check out owlpractice.ca and use the promo code SocialWorkMe to get your first month free

Episode 12 is all about working with men in therapy with our guest Eric Pierni from Men’s Therapy Toronto. 

Eric discusses his path to private practice which began in the tech world and how he became a psychotherapist, sex addiction therapist and the founder of Men's Therapy Toronto.

On this episode we discuss the process of seeking out therapy as a man and some of the factors that lead to successful therapy with men including ways to get men to ‘buy into’ the therapeutic process. Eric dives into men’s mental health, healthy masculinity, sex addiction therapy, shame, anger, emotional awareness and the difference between toxic masculinity and patriarchy. 

Finally, Eric discusses his mission to promote psychotherapy as a valued profession for men and how he aims to build a welcoming and successful practice for both male clients and therapists. He also provides some wisdom for new male therapists and for anyone working with men. 

Compass of Shame: Nathanson 

For more information about Eric Pierni and Men’s Therapy Toronto click HERE

On Episode 11, Matt geeks out with Lisa Matlovich from Sarnia, Ontario about all things nutrition, genetics and microbiome. Lisa is an Orthomolecular and Nutritional Consultant with over 20 years experience working with individuals to improve their physical and mental health.

Lisa dives into how nutrition, microbiome, methylation and genetics interact with mental health, physical health and our overall wellbeing. On this episode we cover a wide range of areas including;

-depression, anxiety, schizophrenia + trauma
-antibiotics, prebiotics + probiotics
-B12
-vagus nerve + inflammation
-dairy, meat, caffeine
-skin, PH levels + acne
-First Nations populations + intergenerational trauma
-Methylation, genetics, epigenetics

Lisa talks about the Human Gut Project which you can check out HERE and for more information about Lisa Matlovich you can visit her website HERE

Episode 10 is all about Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) with our guest Lauren Markos.

Lauren is currently in her last semester of the MSW program at the University of Buffalo and has over 10 years experience in the social work field including time spent in child welfare, the criminal justice sector and working with indigenous populations.

On this episode we discuss the impacts of Covid-19 on completing the MSW program as well as why Solution Focused Therapy is so useful during this time. Lauren details the ins and outs of this modality including specific examples of questions and how to approach clients that are stuck and focused on problems and issues out of their control. We spend some time looking at the utility of SFT with traumatized clients and discuss some practical steps to prevent burnout and vicarious trauma.

If you want to connect or learn more from Lauren- she can be reached at [email protected]

Also, stay tuned to our Instagram page for an unreleased interview about adapting your business/private practice, marketing and values to Covid-19. 

Our guest on Episode 9 is Kathy Steele who is a psychotherapist, trainer, consultant and author from Atlanta, Georgia with over 35 years experience.

Kathy is the Past President and Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), and has also served two terms on the Board of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). Kathy served on the International Task Force that developed treatment guidelines for Dissociative Disorders, and on the Joint International Task Force that has developed treatment guidelines for Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. She has received a number of awards for her work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from ISSTD, an Emory University Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Cornelia B. Wilbur Award for Outstanding Clinical Contributions from ISSTD.

Kathy is considered an expert in complex trauma, dissociation and attachment and her last co-authored book: Treating Trauma Related Dissociation: A Practical Integrative Approach won the Pierre Janet Writing Award.

On this episode Kathy gives some background on her career path, the treatment of dissociation over time, and explains important terms and concepts in trauma therapy. She breaks down assessment and treatment aspects of trauma and dissociation as well as break down phase oriented trauma treatment. The inner critic, wounded child parts and other important 'characters' are discussed with some insight into how to explain and work with these areas in therapy. Lastly, Kathy provides useful tips and wisdom for new therapists and ways to prevent and manage burnout and vicarious trauma.

For more information about Kathy, her publications and trainings check out her website HERE

On Episode 8, Matt chats with Social Worker, Psychotherapist and developer of Emotion Focused Mindfulness Therapy (EMFT)- Bill Gayner.

Bill dives into his history with Buddhism, some of the ethical issues that surround the religion and how this and his mindfulness practice led him to the social work field. His background working in a hospital setting working with gay and bisexual men with HIV as well as his time as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto have led Bill to many years practicing and teaching mindfulness to mental health professionals, residents and social work students.

Throughout this episode Bill gives us an overview of Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Mindfulness, Meditation and how his experience and learning has led to the creation of EFMT. Bill cites many of his mentors, teachers and research that has helped him to create this modality and provides insight into how EFMT is facilitated in group therapy.

If you're interested in finding out more about Bill and his upcoming trainings check out www.mindfulfeeling.ca

Also, Bill and his colleagues Rodelyn Wisco and Cleo Haber will be providing a one-hour online workshop, “Meditation and Empathic Exploration in Emotion-Focused Mindfulness Therapy" in the upcoming online Mindful Society Conference on Saturday, May 2nd, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

https://amindfulsociety.org/conference-program/

For an overview of EFMT:

https://mindfulfeeling.ca/about-emotion-focused-therapy/orientation-to-efmt-meditation/

https://mindfulfeeling.ca/my-paper-on-efmt-has-been-published/

Centre for Psychology & Emotional Health:

https://www.cpeh.ca/bill-gayner

Touching the Earth:

https://secularbuddhistnetwork.org/touching-the-earth-exploring-a-new-secular-self-help-mindfulness-group-approach/