Therapy Chat

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode, as we lead up to the next Daring Way, Laura Reagan, LCSW-C re-visits her interview with Charlotte Hiler Easley, LCSW.

Charlotte is a psychotherapist in private practice who specializes in working with survivors of trauma using equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP). Charlotte discusses her work using Equine Assisted Survivors of Trauma Therapy, a method she developed in collaboration with a rape crisis center when she was in grad school.

Charlotte talks about how horses are able to read our body language and react to our emotional experience. She explains what equine assisted psychotherapy is – hint: you don’t have to touch a saddle. She describes how survivors of trauma working with horses are able to learn and practice new ways of being in a relationship; setting boundaries; making a mind-body connection; feeling what safety feels like – because the work is all experiential.

Thanks for listening to Therapy Chat. Please get in touch and let host Laura Reagan know what you thought of this episode!

Resources

EAGALA: http://www.eagala.org/about

PATH: http://www.pathintl.org/

Charlotte’s website: https://charlotteeasley.com/

Charlotte’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/charlottehilereasleyLCSW

Central Kentucky Riding for Hope’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CKyRH/

Register now for the next Daring Way™ and Relational Equine Assisted Learning retreat: https://laurareaganlcswc.com/retreat

Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button.

Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here.

Welcome to this special Sexual Assault Awareness Month Episode! I'm sharing two episodes from early in Therapy Chat's life on the issue of sexual assault. After the #MeToo movement, founded by Tarana Burke, ignited on social media over the past year, the general public began to understand what most women and many men already knew: sexual violence can affect anyone, and its effects are deep and longlasting. This is a problem in our culture which can be ended, but not without everyone gaining awareness. Statistics indicate that one in four women and one in six men will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a great time to learn more about this important issue. Here's an article from the New York Times about why Tarana Burke started this movement: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/20/us/me-too-movement-tarana-burke.html

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Two types of sexual assault are Childhood Sexual Abuse (to be covered in a later episode) and Sexual Assault/Rape not involving a child. This is our focus today.
• If you are assaulted, you have several options to consider:
• Call a Sexual Assault Crisis Hotline. Visit the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network at www.rainn.org.
• Most hospitals provide a forensic evidence exam at no cost to you, within 120 hours of the assault. Your state's sexual assault coalition can give you a list of hospitals with forensic programs.
• It is your personal decision whether or not to report the assault to the police and you can usually receive an evidence collection exam without reporting to police.
• The victim should tell someone who will be supportive. Visit www.evawintl.org (End Violence Against Women International.) Check out their “Start by Believing” campaign.
• The US military and most colleges/universities have separate options for reporting sexual assault.
• Keep in mind that the civil legal process is another option outside the criminal investigation; a settlement can be obtained without bringing criminal charges.
• The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Abuse (MCASA) is an outstanding resource for survivors. http://www.mcasa.org/
• Find a Sexual Assault Crisis Center Directory at www.centers.rainn.org.
• There are some common reactions of victims following sexual abuse. Find a comprehensive list at www.musc.edu. 
• There are many community events across the country in April to bring awareness to sexual assault. Some events include The Clothesline Project, The Monument Quilt, Performances of The Vagina Monologues (find info at: www.vday.org), Take Back the Night, and Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. 

This is Part 2 of a series about Sexual Assault Awareness, and today’s focus is on Childhood Sexual Abuse. Let’s jump right into our topic!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Childhood Sexual Abuse is “a form of child abuse including sexual activity with a minor who is not capable of consenting.” Remember that a child CANNOT give consent to sexual activity!
• Childhood Sexual Abuse is not always physical contact, but can include digital/online interaction, fondling, exhibitionism, child pornography, sex trafficking, and much more.
• In 93% of cases, the sexual abuser of a child is someone known to the child or the family.
• Most statistics under-represent the frequency of occurrence, but data indicates 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys will be sexually abused during childhood.
• Up to 20% of adult females and 5-10% of adult males have been sexually abused during childhood.
• There is an increased risk of sexual assault later in life when a child has had their boundaries violated in this way.
• Most offenders are male, with about 33% being juveniles.
• There is often a “grooming process” used by the abuser to draw the child into a sexual relationship, and usually, the abuser will fill roles of trust and value in the victim’s family. This makes it harder for children to come forward and makes them more likely to believe they are responsible for the abuse
• The effects of childhood sexual abuse can include emotional problems, mental health issues, behavioral problems, and academic problems.
• The effects can also include PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicide, and eating disorders.
• Many times these behaviors are not recognized as signs of sexual abuse.
• Protect children by showing interest in their lives, knowing the people in their lives, and knowing caregivers especially well.
• Background checks and the sex offender registry are NOT foolproof.
• Know how to ask questions to the child and how to respond without judgment and blame.
• Report abuse to the police and, if applicable, to Child Protective Services.
• Call the Child Help National Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
• Help is available at sexual abuse crisis centers. Visit centers.rainn.org and search by zip code.
• When seeking a therapist look for one with specific training in the field of sexual abuse. Not all therapists are qualified to help in all areas. The therapist should have knowledge and experience in developmental trauma.
• Other resources include: victimsofcrime.org and www.rainn.org.
• Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline 24/7 to speak to someone who can help you if you need someone to talk to after listening to this episode. The phone number (US Only) is: 1-800-656-4673

The RAINN chat hotline is available at: https://hotline.rainn.org/online/terms-of-service.jsp

Other Notes: 

Register for the Authentic Self Two Day Retreat with Charlotte Hiler Easley, LCSW and Laura Reagan, LCSW-C at: https://laurareaganlcswc.com/retreat

Welcome to episode 131 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week’s guest features Anna Seewald who talks about why parenting is so hard. 

Anna Seewald is the founder of Authentic Parenting®. She is a speaker, author and a parent educator. She also has a popular Podcast on iTunes called Authentic Moments. She is a mom to a vibrant 9-year-old who doesn’t approve of her fashion choices. As a child she survived through a severe earthquake. She lost her young mom. She has been through trauma, pain, and a lot suffering.

With a strong passion helping children Anna dedicated her life working with abused, neglected, orphaned, institutionalized children and juvenile delinquents.

After nearly 20 years she realized that it is through helping parents she can help children.

Today she is supporting parents around the world by moving from traditional ways of parenting into more peaceful, conscious ways by making sense of their past life experiences, healing from trauma, building effective communication, practicing non-punitive discipline and setting limits with love and kindness.

She is a multilingual, multitalented person who loves dark roast coffee and dark chocolate with salted caramel.

Resources

http://authenticparenting.com 

Become a member of Therapy Chat by joining me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/TherapyChat 

Register now for the next Daring Way™ and Relational Equine Assisted Learning retreat: https://laurareaganlcswc.com/retreat

Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button.

Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here.

Welcome to episode 130 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week’s guest features Lanie Smith who talks about spirituality as burnout prevention using eco-art therapy.

Lanie Smith, MPS, ATR, a registered art therapist, has worked in a variety of settings for several years. Her work began with the Nat'l Institute of Health, researching the efficacy of art therapy with war-affected youth in N. Uganda, followed by two publications. Lanie developed environmental art therapy for sustainable practice at numerous sites in the Phoenix area.

She provides art therapy to others to support the prevention of burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. Lanie also supervises and trains on the ethical considerations regarding the use of art in therapy.

Resources

https://www.laniesmithcoaching.com

Register now for the next Daring Way™ and Relational Equine Assisted Learning retreat: https://laurareaganlcswc.com/retreat

Therapists! Would you like to get a free month of service with Brighter Vision, the worldwide leaders in custom website design for therapists? Go to this link to sign up and get a free month: https://try.brightervision.com/therapychatpodcast

Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button.

Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here.

Visit Therapy Chat website at Http://therapychatpodcast.com and send host Laura Reagan a voice message letting her know what you think of Therapy Chat! Did you like this episode? Did you dislike it? Let her know!

Welcome to episode 129 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week’s guest features Xanthia Johnson. She is the founder of Urban Playogoly in Washington, DC. Urban Playology provides psychotherapy services to children, adolescents, individuals, couples and families.

During defining transitions, she provides a safe place for you to be who you are. Whether you are 2 years old or 85 years young, you will enjoy a transformative experience. Her clinical areas of specialization and interest include but are not limited to: Women & Women of Color Issues, Urban Play Therapy, Expressive Arts, Sandtray Therapy, Grief & Loss, LGBTIQ Folk, TF-CBT, Broad Spectrum Couples & Family Work

At Urban Playology, they utilize an Integrative therapy model with emphasis on advocacy and social justice for all clients. This approach helps them provide optimal support and sustainable nurturing for all clients. They offer professional training, clinical supervision, and clinical consultation on advocacy projects of interest.

In this episode, you will hear Xanthia discuss representation and connection via expressive arts as Laura and Xanthia talk about the film "Black Panther".

Resources

Dante’s RESPECT video: https://youtu.be/yII9_sQATXU

Find Xanthia Johnson at: http://www.urbanplayology.com/

Laura’s Facebook post with resources to learn about privilege, racism, oppression: https://www.facebook.com/LauraJReaganLcswC/photos/a.738409226187611.1073741828.624687057559829/2008445822517272/?type=3&theater

Register now for the next Daring Way™ and Relational Equine Assisted Learning retreat: https://laurareaganlcswc.com/retreat

Therapists! Would you like to get a free month of service with Brighter Vision, the worldwide leaders in custom website design for therapists? Go to this link to sign up and get a free month: https://try.brightervision.com/therapychatpodcast

Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button.

Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here.

Welcome to episode 128 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. Today Laura speaks to David Treleaven, PhD. David's book is Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness.

David Treleaven, PhD, is a writer, educator, and trauma professional whose work focuses on the intersection of mindfulness, trauma, and social justice. He received his master’s in counseling psychology at the University of British Columbia, and a doctorate in East-West psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies.

This year he'll be offering workshops on trauma-sensitive mindfulness at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at UMass Medical School, Omega Institute's Mindfulness and Education Conference, and True North Insight in Montréal, Canada. He is a senior teacher with Strozzi Institute, which helps leaders embody skillful action, and with generative somatics, an organization that integrates personal and social transformation.

Resources:

https://www.davidtreleaven.com

https://www.amazon.com/Trauma-Sensitive-Mindfulness-Practices-Transformative-Healing/dp/0393709787/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521777121&sr=8-1&keywords=trauma+sensitive+mindfulness 

https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Talk-About-Race-ebook/dp/B073P53DVL

Therapists! Would you like to get a free month of service with Brighter Vision, the worldwide leaders in custom website design for therapists? Go to this link to sign up and get a free month: https://try.brightervision.com/therapychatpodcast

Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button.

Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here.

Welcome to episode 127 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. Today Laura speaks to Lynn Fraser about mindfulness & somatic work in healing trauma. 

Lynn Fraser is a senior meditation and yoga teacher in the Himalayan Yoga Meditation tradition; and a Senior Facilitator of the Living Inquiries and Natural Rest. She brings the depth and richness of twenty years experience teaching meditation and yoga philosophy to her work. She specializes in holding a safe and trusted space for healing trauma in her private Living Inquiries online sessions with individuals. Lynn lives near family, the ocean and forest in Nova Scotia Canada where she also plays flute in a jazz band.

Lynn is a student and teaches within the Himalayan Tradition of Swami Rama as taught by Swami Veda Bharati. She is certified through the Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation Societies (AHYMSIN) and the Yoga Center of Calgary. She was a founding member of the organizing committee for the AHYMSIN teacher training program and is faculty for the Yoga Studio College in Calgary. Lynn has studied extensively in the United States and India with Swami Veda Bharati, Pandit Dabral and other senior teachers in the Himalayan Tradition.

She teaches in Halifax/Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. Her classes are suitable for students in various physical conditions as a primary emphasis for asana (yoga poses) is on training the mind through the body. Her teaching features an integrated approach of relaxation, asana, pranayama, meditation and philosophy for every day life. She is a certified Himalayan Institute Ayurveda Yoga Specialist.

Lynn supports people healing from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma through meditation, yoga therapy and mindfulness inquiry.

Resources:

Find everything Lynn is doing on her website: https://lynnfraserstillpoint.com/

Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes.

Trauma Therapist Network is a resource for learning about trauma and how it shows up in our lives, and to search for a trauma therapist. Our searchable directory is at www.findtraumatherapy.com or you can go to www.traumatherapistnetwork.com to see everything our site has to offer! Look for discounts on therapy trainings, recommended books, wearable tech, my recommended EHR, and much more!

Welcome to episode 126 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. Today Laura speaks to Dr. Maelisa Hall about how much is too much for a therapist to share in a session?

Dr. Maelisa Hall is a licensed clinical psychologist and her passion is to help therapists create rock-solid documentation so they can spend more time with their clients and less time worrying about paperwork. After eight years working in mental health agencies, she started her own company to help therapists learn how to make documentation flow naturally, decrease their workload and be confident in all their paperwork. She shows clinicians that paperwork is a valuable part of therapy and that it doesn’t have to be slow and painful! You’ll have more time to work with clients because you’ll know you can take on the paperwork no problem.

Maelisa consults with psychotherapists in private practice, agencies and group practices to teach them things like how to write great notes, what to consider if insurance is involved, how to document high-risk issues and what forms they actually need for their clientele.

Training is her passion so she has created online programs that help connect therapists so they can learn from any place at any time. Her goal is make everything she does serve a real need so she makes sure to include plenty of real-life examples and interactive exercises in every workshop she creates.

Resources:

https://www.mybizbestie.com

https://www.qaprep.com

Therapists! Would you like to get a free month of service with Brighter Vision, the worldwide leaders in custom website design for therapists? Go to this link to sign up and get a free month: https://try.brightervision.com/therapychatpodcast

Go to https://global.oup.com/academic/product/healing-justice-9780190663087?q=healing%20justice&lang=en&cc=us and use code “ASFLYQ6” to save 30% on Loretta’s book!

Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button.

Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here.

Visit Therapy Chat website at Http://therapychatpodcast.com and send host Laura Reagan a voice message letting her know what you think of Therapy Chat! Did you like this episode? Did you dislike it? Let her know!

Welcome to episode 125 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. Today Laura speaks to Dr. Loretta Pyles about her work and new book “Healing Justice”.

Loretta came to mind-body healing practices in 1999, after leaving a difficult long-term relationship and becoming burnt out from her social services and social change work. She found herself anxious, grief-ridden, and disconnected from her body, mind and spirit. Over the years, she has committed herself to a journey toward wholeness, presence, and compassion. The realizations that she later found in meditation and yoga deepened her ability to understand the ways in which oppression and undigested experiences rest in the mind-body continuum. To learn more about these parts of herself and to experience life more fully, she practices a range of modalities including mindfulness, lovingkindness, breath work, physical poses, devotional mantra, group support, and self-inquiry.

Loretta’s sensibility about transformative social change was formed during her time working in a women's collective at a community-based domestic violence program in Lawrence, Kansas. She continues to be inspired by the insights of collective and consensus building that come from feminist and other social movements, as well as conscious communication practices. She works with public and non-profit organizations to promote healing justice and offers workshops which support social workers and activists to embody mindful practice and self-care through trauma-informed and anti-oppression lenses.

Loretta received her B.A. in philosophy and sociology from Baker University, an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. in social work from the University of Kansas. Formerly on the faculty at Tulane University School of Social Work in New Orleans, Loretta is Professor in the School of Social Welfare at the State University of New York at Albany. She was Director of UAlbany’s Community and Public Service Program from 2008-2012. The National Science Foundation has funded her research on human capabilities, community participation, and disaster recovery. Loretta's social change and healing justice work has taken her across the globe including to Haiti, Mongolia, and Indonesia.

Resources:

http://lorettapyles.com

Therapists! Would you like to get a free month of service with Brighter Vision, the worldwide leaders in custom website design for therapists? Go to this link to sign up and get a free month: https://try.brightervision.com/therapychatpodcast

Go to https://global.oup.com/academic/product/healing-justice-9780190663087?q=healing%20justice&lang=en&cc=us and use code “ASFLYQ6” to save 30% on Loretta’s book!

Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button.

Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here.

Visit Therapy Chat website at Http://therapychatpodcast.com and send host Laura Reagan a voice message letting her know what you think of Therapy Chat! Did you like this episode? Did you dislike it? Let her know!

Welcome to episode 124 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. Today Laura welcomes back Dr. Leslie Korn. 

Dr. Leslie Korn has had a bi-lingual (Eng/Span) clinical practice since 1977 and providing over 50,000 hours of integrative health care to people with a diverse range of health problems in both urban and rural settings.

She is the author of 4 books; Nutritional Essentials for Mental Health, (Norton, 2015), Cultural Competency Workbook, (Premiere Publishing , 2015) Rhythms of Recovery Trauma Nature and the Body (Routledge, 2013), and Preventing and Treating Diabetes Naturally, The Native Way, (DayKeeper Press, 2009) and her latest book The Good Mood Kitchen will be out in 2017.

Dr. Korn consults to clinicians and advises clients who want to people to reduce or eliminate pharmaceutical use and in particular psychotropic medications. She works with people who want to integrate natural approaches to their health care and she has a specialty practice in mental health nutrition and body oriented psychotherapy. She also consults to community mental health, hospital based programs and on tribal reservations supporting the integration of traditional healing and integrative medicine for mental and physical health.

Dr. Korn received her PhD in Behavioral Medicine from the Union Institute, a MA degree in cross cultural health psychology from Lesley University, and a MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Resources:

https://drlesliekorn.com

Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button.

Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here.

Visit Therapy Chat website at Http://therapychatpodcast.com and send host Laura Reagan a voice message letting her know what you think of Therapy Chat! Did you like this episode? Did you dislike it? Let her know!