What if midlife weight gain isn’t simply about willpower?

In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, Laurie Poole sits down with Dr. Richa Mittal of Radiant Health Weight Loss and Wellness to talk about the complex relationship between hormones, metabolism, and weight during midlife. Together, they explore what many women experience during perimenopause and menopause—changes in sleep, mood, energy, and body composition that can feel confusing and frustrating.

Dr. Mittal explains why the common advice to simply “eat less and move more” often misses the bigger picture. From hormonal shifts and visceral fat to the role of nutrition, sleep, and muscle mass, this conversation reframes midlife weight gain through the lens of metabolic health rather than blame.

You’ll hear:

• Why hormonal changes can affect weight, mood, and energy
• The difference between visceral fat and other types of body fat
• How nutrition, sleep, and gut health influence mental and physical wellbeing
• The role of GLP-1 medications and when they may be helpful
• Why self-compassion matters more than diet culture during midlife

If you’ve ever felt like your body suddenly started playing by different rules, this episode offers clarity, science, and a more compassionate way to think about midlife health.

Learn more about Dr. Mittal’s practice, Radiant Health Weight Loss and Wellness, at myradianthealth.com

She also writes about midlife wellness, nutrition, and metabolic health on her blog Life, Fully Nourished, which you can find at richamittalmd.com

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🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives.

Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites.

To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com

Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

What if Valentine’s Day didn’t have to feel like a performance?

In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, Laurie Poole is joined by therapist and colleague Heather Caballero to rethink a holiday that often brings more pressure than connection. Together, they explore how early memories, social comparison, and cultural expectations can quietly shape how we experience February 14th.

Instead of defaulting to crowded restaurants or obligatory gestures, Laurie and Heather talk about designing a day that actually fits your life. From honoring your love language to widening the circle beyond romantic partners, this conversation offers permission to celebrate connection in ways that feel steady, personal, and real.

Whether you’re partnered, single, somewhere in between, or simply tired of the Hallmark script, this episode invites you to make Valentine’s Day your way.

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🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives.

Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites.

To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com

Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

What if mental health care didn’t have to feel rushed, reactive, or one-size-fits-all?

In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, Laurie Poole is joined by psychiatrist Dr. Christian Monsalve for a grounded conversation about integrative psychiatry and what thoughtful care looks like in practice. Together, they explore why many high-functioning people continue to feel unsettled despite doing everything “right,” and how slowing down can support long-term stability without swinging to extremes.

If you’ve ever felt unsure about your mental health care, questioned whether medication adjustments were the whole answer, or wanted a steadier way to understand what’s happening beneath the surface, this conversation offers a more intentional perspective.

For more information about working with Dr. Monsalve, visit Verigrate Health at www.verigrate.com

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🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives.

Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites.

To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com

Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

Grief doesn’t follow a script. It surges in kitchens after laughter and settles into quiet corners of the day, especially when loss compounds across months. 

In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, Laurie Poole and Courtney Strull from The Montfort Group have an honest conversation about processing grief after the loss of loved ones. Courtney shares her experience of losing multiple family members in a short period of time, including her father, and how grief reshaped her sense of time, identity, and the way she chooses to live.

Whether you’re navigating your own grief, supporting someone you love, or simply trying to understand loss more deeply, this conversation offers space, language, and permission to be exactly where you are.

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🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives.

Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites.

To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com

Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

What if the hardest chapters of your life became the experience that makes you a steadier presence for others?

Angela Johnson joins Laurie for her first conversation as The Montfort Group’s inaugural practicum fellow — a role shaped by a long, honest road back to herself. Her path into counseling took the scenic route: a career in education, a complicated pregnancy, divorce, blended family challenges, and the quiet shock of the empty nest. The result is a therapist-in-training with an uncommon mix of humility, clarity, and practical wisdom.

In this episode, Laurie and Angela talk openly about what real-life experience brings into the therapy room, especially when clients are navigating the messy spaces between roles like co-parenting, blending families, redefining partnership, or figuring out who they are when the kids leave. Angela offers the kind of insight that comes from living it — slow pacing, healthy boundaries, clarity around discipline, respect for each child’s loyalties, and a deep understanding of what helps a new family system hold.

Angela begins seeing clients this December, and her work is especially supportive for women in transition, parents navigating blended families, and couples trying to protect the foundation they’ve built. If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy or finding a guide for this next chapter, this is a beautiful way to meet her.

Send a text

🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives.

Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites.

To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com

Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

What happens when education is completely reimagined around the individual student? Alexandria Armstrong, Director of Admissions at Fusion Academy in Plano, reveals the transformative power of their one-to-one teaching model where every class consists of just one teacher and one student.

Alexandria draws from her decade of experience in education and her personal journey as a homeschooled student with ADHD to explain why this revolutionary approach works for students who struggle in traditional settings. She shares how Fusion's holistic methodology addresses not just academics, but emotional wellbeing and social development—creating breakthrough moments for students who previously felt misunderstood or overlooked.

The conversation explores how COVID-19 accelerated changes in student socialization that were already underway, while examining the balance between digital communication and essential face-to-face connection. Alexandria offers fascinating insights into how Fusion creates a customized daily experience for each student—from flexible start times to dedicated homework cafes where students complete assignments on campus and connect with like-minded peers.

Most powerfully, Alexandria describes the visible transformation as students find their place at Fusion: "You see their shoulders roll back and their posture change" as they discover an educational environment where they're truly seen and understood. For parents of students with learning differences, social anxiety, unique scheduling needs, or those simply needing a different approach, this episode offers hope that education can be reimagined to help every student thrive.

Ready to learn more about personalized education options? Visit fusionacademy.com to explore their 80 campuses nationwide or contact Alexandria directly.

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🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives.

Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites.

To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com

Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

Laurie interviews clinical herbalist Nicole Haglund about how Chinese medicine can help women restore balance to their hormones and nervous systems for better mental health. Nicole explains her journey from disordered eating to becoming an expert in women's health after successfully helping her husband overcome Crohn's disease through natural methods.

• Women today are experiencing burnout trying to balance careers, family responsibilities, and personal wellness
• Chinese medicine identifies patterns of symptoms rather than treating isolated complaints
• Magnesium deficiency is a common underlying cause of anxiety and stress
• The nervous system must be regulated before herbs and nutrition can effectively work
• Tongue diagnosis reveals internal health issues by examining color, shape, and coating
• The gut-brain connection plays a crucial role in both emotional and physical wellbeing
• Passion flower is particularly effective for people who struggle with overthinking
• During perimenopause, depleted adrenal glands must take over hormone production
• Nicole's Beauty Reset program provides customized herbal formulas, dietary guidelines, and nervous system support

For more information about working with Nicole, visit her Instagram @FixingYourFlow and DM the word "reset" to learn about her 90-day program.

Send a text

🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives.

Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites.

To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com

Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

Can one relationship meet all your needs? In this eye-opening episode of Therapist Unplugged, married couple Leland and McKenzie share how their connection evolved from a casual Tinder hookup to a deeply committed polyamorous marriage.

With raw honesty and humor, they explore what it takes to build trust, communicate openly, and challenge traditional relationship norms. From navigating jealousy to redefining intimacy, their story is full of insights for anyone curious about ethical non-monogamy, polyamory, or simply wanting to improve communication in monogamous relationships.

Whether you're questioning societal expectations or just want a deeper look at what honesty in partnership really means, this conversation will shift your perspective.

Key Topics:

• Ethical non-monogamy & polyamory
• Communication in modern relationships
• Trust and emotional transparency
• Letting go of unrealistic expectations
• Love beyond traditional structures

Quote Highlight:
"Being able to tell your partner ‘I find this person attractive’—just something as simple as that—removes so many barriers of other things to communicate about." — McKenzie

Send a text

🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives.

Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites.

To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com

Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

When was the last time you had an honest conversation about sex after 60?

In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, host Laurie Poole is joined by sex therapist Edita Ruzgyte for a candid look at aging, desire, and intimacy in later life. They challenge the idea that good sex requires a perfect body and explore how deeper emotional connection can lead to more fulfilling sexual experiences as we grow older.

You’ll hear:

• How to talk about sex and boundaries—at any age
• What changing bodies mean for intimacy
• Why desire doesn’t expire
• How to reignite connection in long-term relationships

Whether you’re curious about what’s possible or ready to reclaim your sexual vitality, this conversation is your invitation to start.

Send a text

🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives.

Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites.

To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com

Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

Ready to reset your nervous system?

In this calming episode, therapist Laurie Poole leads you through a guided Progressive Relaxation practice designed to release physical tension, quiet your mind, and bring your body back to a state of balance.

Progressive Relaxation is a simple yet powerful technique that helps reduce stress, improve sleep, and build long-term emotional resilience. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or just need a moment to breathe—this session is your invitation to pause and reconnect.

By the end, you’ll feel more grounded and better equipped to bring this calming practice into your daily routine.

Ideal for:

• Stress relief and anxiety management
• Transitioning from work to rest
• Mind-body connection and emotional reset

Send a text

🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives.

Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites.

To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com

Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup