Therapeutic Perspective

Allison Puryear, LCSW is the Founder of Abundance Practice Building. She is a Practice Building Consultant and Psychotherapist offering Group and Individual Business Consultation for soon-to-be private practice therapists, those currently in private practice, and clinicians who want help attracting their ideal client. Allison helps her clients work through blocks that have kept them from taking the leap and also with finding their brand of marketing and creating a business that feels authentic and fulfilling. 

In this episode, we discuss using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with kids and creative ways to teach it to children. Our guest today is Registered Clinical Counsellor and Author Sharon Selby. Sharon starts out with explaining what CBT looks like in session and how she refines it for use with children and teens. Sharon discusses using art in CBT with children and teens and also talks us through breaking down neuroscience and the fight or flight response for younger people. This episode is full of ways to use CBT with children and teens and includes Sharon’s unique interventions for specific situations, including school refusal. The episode wraps up with the psychoeducation piece for parents and how to help them avoid common mistakes. 

Today we talk with Christy Yerk-Smith, LPC, and we are working through a topic that may be triggering for some: Gaslighting. The episode begins with the signs and symptoms of gaslighting, including those that are considered abusive. Christy explains what gaslighting might look and sound like in session and what the role of the therapist is in these sessions. Christy discusses identifying goals in the intake session, and which ones need further exploration to assess for gaslighting or abuse. She also shares the techniques she uses to address abuse or manipulation with clients and other types of relationships where clients may encounter gaslighting. The episode wraps up with the clinical interventions Christy uses as well as community resources we may need for clients.

In this episode, Connor Moriarty, LPC talks about the mental and physical benefits of getting outdoors for both client and clinician. Connor kicks off the episode by describing the three ingredients he incorporates into every nature program. He then moves into the personal experience that led him to nature-based therapy and starting Reset Outdoors. He also explains the type of client that is most likely to benefit from outdoor counseling and walks us through the nature-based session framework. This episode delves into trying nature based therapy in our own practices or practicing it as self-care. 

The topic of this episode is Imposter Syndrome (IS). While Impostor Syndrome is not in the DSM, it is not uncommon, even among mental health providers. Jill Harle, LPC joins us for this episode, and she opens up the conversation by discussing mental health provider Imposter Syndrome, including feeling not good enough or not effective enough. She moves into detailing symptoms and identifiers, and which diagnosable disorders these symptom patterns are often present in. The conversation then turns to working with IS in session and the interventions Jill likes to use. 

In this episode, we explore the impact of social media on mental health through the lens of Sociometer Theory. We look at how self-esteem is affected when clients determine their value and self-worth through social media responses and discuss how to recalibrate client self-esteem sources. Victoria Alercia-Casella, LPC, our guest host for this episode, also shares treatment approaches and interventions (and an app) for clients presenting with depression and low self-esteem. 

This episode is all things groups! It is not uncommon to see questions about starting and running groups in mental health message boards. There has also been a great deal of conversation about running counseling groups via telehealth or managing them safely in person. PA lists the following benefits of group counseling: support, accountability, perspective, relief, and diversity. Now, more than ever, clinicians are looking for ways to provide these for clients, and here to help us learn more about starting and running a small group is Dr. Lyz DeBoer Kreider, PhD. Dr. Lyz covers group counseling basics, including the process of forming a group, running a group, and managing group dynamics. She also shares the steps she took when starting her very first group and her favorite groups to run. Finally, Dr. Lyz explains how group interactions provide insight into daily client struggles and how to balance group dynamics. 

A recent Trevor Project study found that 45% of LGBTQ+ youth have seriously considered suicide in the past year. Additionally, the study found that LGBTQ+ youth, that felt support from their family, attempted suicide at half the normal rate. Nearly 1 in 5 Transgender and Nonbinary youth attempted suicide, and 60% reported wanting mental health care services in the past year and not being able to get it. These statistics are eye opening and illustrate the need for LGBTQ+ youth and adult trained mental health providers.
In this episode, we talk with specialist Michael Avender, LCSW. Michael discusses virtual social connection for LGBTQ+ youth, increased risk of mental health disorders, and the coping skills that he likes to teach clients. Michael shares unique ways to build rapport over telehealth as well as how he navigates confidentiality with LGBTQ+ youth in virtual sessions. He also walks us through providing psychoeducation to families on the use of client’s preferred name and pronoun and explains the Genderbread Person and Gender Unicorn.  

Resources for this episode: 
The Trevor Project Hotline : 1-866-488-7386
The Trevor Project also offers support for LGBTQ youth through online chat or text message: text “START” to 678678
Trans Lifeline’s Peer Support Hotline: 1-877-565-8860

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) can be difficult for most adults to understand, but imagine this diagnosis from the eyes of a child and the psychological impact that they can endure into adulthood. In this episode, guest host Jill Harle, LPC, shares the symptom presentation of clients raised by a caregiver with NPD and the role this can play in their understanding of self and future partner selection. Jill also discusses her treatment approach and three step plan for working with teen or adult children of Narcissists.