What Would Dr. Meyers Do?

It may be challenging to consider how there is joy in working with ill youth, and even chronically and terminally medically ill children. To her own surprise, Cloe Southard, LMSW has certainly found that joy. She gives us a new perspective about this work and engages in conversation about ethical dilemmas including the debateable issue of sustaining life vs. quality of life. She also is quite transparent about her countertransferential challenges.

There are many ways to treat trauma from psychotherapy to CBT, Ketamine, and EMDR. Dr. Meyers is interested in exploring it all. This week she is joined by Dr. Kammer, an expert on EMDR who discusses the use of it as a method to reprocess painful memories by reformulationg negative beliefs. She explains how eye movement desensitization and reprocessing works. Both complicated and fascinating, we delve into how trauma is processed by the brain and because it is overwhelming, there can be an inability to process it. As a result, the trauma remains stored in the limbic system. By following the therapist’s hand movements or a moving light, listening to audio stimulation, or tapping on their shoulders, the therapist helps the client reprocess the natural information that occurs during REM sleep. How is this done? Tune in to find out.

Kellyanne Brady, PhD is pregnant. How might this impact her treatment? Transference is likely to occur. How might her clients' feelings be overtly or subtly communicated, or not revealed at all? How does Dr. Brady's countertransference come into play? What happens when a therapist is going through their own major life transition? These are questions anyone can relate to regarding how to remain present and how much to share or self-disclose.

From the last podcast episode on sibling abuse, my guest, Lorene Stanwick wanted to ensure that she communicated specific aspects of her experience. In a follow-up conversation, she focuses on the insidious nature of abuse and her road towards healing. She discusses the catharctic aspect of writing a play on sibling abuse and her desire to be the voice for others. Many folks can relate to feeling you may have left out important things during a conversations. But perhaps for Lorene, the desire to revisit our conversation conveys the deep need to be heard and understood, something a sibling abuse victim never had.

Not being believed when someone has been abused magnifies the experience of trauma. What happens when ones own family doesn't acknowledge the abuse from parents to siblings to perpetrators? Lorene Stanwick, an adult survivor of sibling abuse talks about these implications and the profound impact this has had on her. In this episode, Lorene shares her truth and shares her processing the change speaking out created in her family, and her ultimate decision to choose herself.

Meet Alma, a BSW student who is just beginning her social work education. In spite of how astute, insightful, and self-aware she is, she still contends with feelings of insecurity and finding her voice. Dr. Meyers strives to normalize Alma's feelings and in doing so, addresses areas of anxiety and concerns most practicing professionals grapple with. Along the way, they have some important lessons to ease the discomfort of doing the work.

In this episode you are sure to gain a better understanding of what is at the root of most couple conflict; the need to focus on the underlying feelings that are raised for each member of the pair; and the path towards empathy for the other's perspective. Dr. Meyers' guest, Sindee Gozansky emphasizes the discord and upset found in couples conflict that usually originates in historical, early and familial relationships. She offers her own challenges in working with couples, and the necessity of balancing alignment with both individuals.

Many of us have some form of body dysmorphia, and so we can all relate to this episode. Societal pressures make it almost impossible not to contend with a disorted perspective of our personal appearance. Ruth Kalai, LCSW works with young professionals whose bodily perceptions often indicate a representation of some other aspect of unhappiness, anxiety, or failure. Learn a cognitive-behavioral technique that can ease the suffering that comes with this disorder. Ruth also shares her personal struggles with body perception and normalizes the "obsession" we share with physical appearance. Check out more about Ruthie at Ruthiekalai.com

Dr. Meyers has a pointed, open and honest conversation with two racially different professors who co-teach a course on diversity. As they engage in processing their differences and making decisions about how to navigate the course, they and their student model how to optimize discussions on racial differences and positions of power, privilege, and oppression. In the midst of this socially and politically stressful time, let's accept discomfort as we pave a path towards self-awareness, openness to others, and bridging the biases that can divide us.

Join Dr. Meyers as she celebrates her 100th episode with some reflections on her favorite episodes, responses to listener's questions about therapy and podcasting, and banter with her guest on topics of self-care and of all things, cursing.