Therapist Confidential

“I’m not here to fix bodies or food behaviors—I’m here to hold space for what those things are holding.” In this episode, Kim Fry challenges traditional models for treating eating disorders and invites us into a more relational approach. From deconstructing societal aesthetics to unlearning what you know about “healthy” behavior, Kim helps us rethink what healing looks like in a system that so often fails the people it claims to serve. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.

How do you offer meaningful, person-centered care inside a system built on confinement and control? In this episode, Travis Heath speaks with Brooke Sheehan, a social worker and the Regional Director of a mental healthcare program operating inside correctional institutions. They unpack the myths of working in prisons, the power of radical acceptance, the flexibility required to meet varied mental health needs, and what it means to humanize care in a dehumanizing environment.Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.

Jason Buckles is not the DSM expert you’re looking for. Or is he? In this episode, Dr. Jason Buckles joins Travis Heath to discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of the DSM—from the benefits of providing a common language to the realities of dehumanizing clients when that language is applied. Together, they explore the power and perils of using diagnoses to define the human condition. A layered, provocative episode for anyone who’s ever wrestled with the complexities of diagnosis.

Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health. 

"If it’s your idea, you’re going to like it better.”

You know how to support clients’ mental health but what happens when clients bring up physical health goals? In this episode, health coach Shana Walsh shares how she fosters healthy change that comes from within. From helping clients set process goals to navigating motivation and reframing setbacks, this conversation will give you some fresh ideas for nurturing change that sticks—especially when physical wellness enters the room. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.

"Teenagers are not that scary. We are a lot more human than maybe we’re portrayed." In this episode, 16-year-old Meztli shares her take on what’s wrong with therapy. From rushed solutions and misplaced positivity to the need for authenticity and curiosity, she unpacks why therapy can feel more like treatment than conversation—and what therapists can do to better help their clients. Spoiler: It’s about human connection. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.

What does caring for people really look like when everything is on the line? In this episode, EMT and Paramedic Instructor Scott Reasor offers a thoughtful perspective on caring for others from the frontlines of emergency response. With decades of experience as a firefighter, EMT, and now a continuing education director, Scott shares stories that bridge his experiences as a first responder with the relational work of therapists. • We talk about: • The myth of the “right” response—and the importance of adapting as data evolves • What “pink elephants” have to do with trust, mutual respect and de-escalation • How the gift of presence can go beyond protocol to address human need The story of a woman who brought cake to the firehouse as a thank-you for attending to her emotional needs—and how that sparked a culture shift Why “treating people like humans” isn’t just kindness—it’s clinical wisdom Whether you’re stabilizing someone after a car accident or sitting with a client in emotional crisis, this episode explores what it means to show up and care, even when you don’t have all the answers. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.

Play therapy isn’t just child’s play. In this episode of Therapist Confidential, Travis Heath talks with Dr. Lisa Forbes about non-directive play therapy, where patience, process, and trust guide the therapeutic journey. They explore how stories unfold through toys, what progress really looks like, and how to support parents along the way. A must-listen for therapists who work with kids—or anyone who wants to understand what therapy looks like when the language is play. • The phases of non-directive play therapy: from rapport to narrative shifts • Understanding “embodied stories” in a child’s play • How play becomes a metaphor for internal healing • Communicating with parents about the invisible progress of therapy • The therapeutic power of patience, observation, and belief in the process Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.

 “What if we stopped asking, 'What do I do with this client?' and started asking, ‘What’s alive in this relationship?’” —marcela polanco

 In this episode of Therapist Confidential, Travis Heath is joined by marcela polanco for a radical reimagining of therapy—not as a series of techniques to be applied, but as a relationship to be tended. Together, they explore what it means to shift from prescriptive models to deeply relational, decolonial practices rooted in lived experience, language, and land.

Drawing from her life as a Colombian immigrant, narrative therapist, and decolonial scholar, marcela invites listeners to consider healing that’s grounded in connection, not just intervention. Produced by Psychotherapy.net, this conversation opens a necessary dialogue about what it means to truly meet another human being in therapy—and what might be possible when we do.

In this episode of Therapist Confidential, host Travis Heath shares the professional journey that shaped him—from his early days as a trainee seeing clients in El Segundo to questioning what therapy is really about. With honesty and humor, Travis reflects on what grad school couldn’t prepare him for: meeting people in parks, sitting on front steps, and learning that therapy doesn’t always need a room—or a script.

Part personal introduction, part professional reckoning, this episode lays the foundation for a podcast rooted in relationship, reflection, and practice over performance. Produced by Psychotherapy.net, it invites listeners into the kind of therapy conversation that’s rarely captured—and deeply needed.

In this episode of Therapist Confidential, Travis Heath speaks with Clayton Norman—a therapist whose work is anything but traditional. Clayton blends narrative therapy, Adlerian play therapy, and his background in youth programming to create “skate therapy”—sessions that unfold at skate parks rather than behind office walls. They discuss metaphor, subculture, and what therapy can become when we meet clients where they already are. Produced by Psychotherapy.net, this is a conversation for anyone rethinking what therapy looks like—or where it happens.