The Counseling Center Podcast

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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder can manifest in a multitude of ways, especially in ways that affect the parts of our life that we hold the most dear. In this episode Jessica Fish Champlin, LCSW re-joins Tim at their kitchen table to discuss her life experience with Scrupulosity. Jessica discusses how it affected her life as an LDS missionary, how it tainted her relationship with God and how she learned to sit in uncertainty to take her spirituality back. 

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Who doesn't want to be more happy in their life? In this episode Tim is joined by Dr. Neeta Lal, MD, CSW to talk about the 2025 World Happiness Report. Tim and Neeta discuss what we can learn from the research about being happier as well as what obstacles we face in our culture here in the U.S. to achieve more happiness. Put in some headphones, make some time for yourself, listen and enjoy!

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In 1949 writer Joseph Campbell released The Hero with a Thousand Faces. A book that introduced the concept of the Hero's Journey. The Hero's Journey is a pattern that many stories we love follow about a protagonist's adventures in self discovery and becoming stronger. In this episode Tim is joined by Dr. Maren Swensen to discuss how we can apply the Hero's Journey to our own mental health journey and how we can begin identifying ourselves as heroes in our story. After the discussion Tim and Maren also share their personal lists of favorite stories that feature the Hero's Journey and what we can take away from those stories. Check it out!

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Between the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the murder of the Melissa and Mark Hortman in their home and the attack of Paul Pelosi in 2022, political violence is on the rise. The past weeks have filled many with fear, apprehension and uncertainty. When possible, during such times it is valuable to learn pertinent information so we can act in effective ways. In this episode Tim is joined by Dr. Bryan Bushman to discuss what the research says about the psychological profiles of those committing these acts of violence and what we can do with this information to be a help and a support. Tim and Bryan also discuss effective ways to connect with those we may politically disagree with to avoid dehumanization. This episode is very much worth your time during this difficult period. 

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In this episode, Tim is joined by LCSW Madeline Claude to discuss the powerful DBT skill of radical acceptance. We discuss what it means to radically accept our reality, how this is valuable and how radical acceptance is not giving up or being apathetic. Madeline shares the process of radical acceptance and gives us a bonus guided meditation we can practice. Check it out!

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In this episode Tim is joined by LCSW Ben Scoma talking about Internal Family Systems. Internal Family Systems is getting increasingly popular in the world of therapy. What is it? How does it work? How can it help someone? These questions are answered and Ben even does a demo of IFS with Tim. This is a great episode to check out if you've had heard of IFS and are wondering if it's the right kind of therapy for you. 

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Who here likes drama? Sure, we may like to watch it on TV but most of us hate when it's present in our lives. How can we name drama for what it is and then get out of it? In this episode, LCSW Cari Reyes gives us the answers to these burning questions. Cari and Tim talk about Karpman's Drama Triangle, how the roles within it relate to drama and what we can do to get out of it. Check it out!

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In this episode, Tim sits down with Dr. Bryan Bushman to talk about how we can effectively communicate with those in our lives including assertive communication and setting appropriate boundaries. 

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In this episode Tim is joined by clinician Mikenna Giauqe. Mikenna and Tim discuss what core beliefs are, where they come from, how they can effect us and if we can change them if they are unhelpful to us. Check it out!

Have you ever felt like you and your partner needed some help with your relationship? Couples counseling is an extremely beneficial experience to have with your partner however for many it can feel scary, overwhelming and you may not see the point. In this episode, Tim is joined again with Alena Ericksen to talk about what couples counseling really looks like and how it works. Our hope in this episode is to decrease some unknowns about the process so people can feel encouraged to get this kind of support when needed. Check it out!