What Your Therapist Is Reading ®

Follow along on social media @therapybookspodcast to learn more about what I am reading.

*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.

Many of us experience burnout at some point in our lives.  Sometimes we realize what is happening and other times we don’t. Sometimes it is left untreated and can become depression.  Morgan Johnson shares how her own burnout during the time she was obtaining her licensure hours ultimately lead to her focusing on helping others recover from burnout.  Today we explore that with her book Eight Keys to Healing, Managing, and Preventing Burnout (affiliate link).  

Show Highlights

What Burnout Really Is

Signs And Symptoms

Training System Pressure

Micro Habits That Help

Intentional Rest

How The Book Works

The Stress Cycle

The Long Game Plans

Self Compassion

About the author

Morgan Johnson is an author, speaker, and psychotherapist based in Fort Worth, Texas. She has been providing counseling services primarily for people experiencing burnout, betrayal, and breakups for over a decade. Her first book, Rebuilding Trust, was published in 2022.

Find out what else I am reading @therapybookspodcast

*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.

Psychotherapist and host Jessica Fowler welcomes Dr. Michael Uebel to discuss his book, "Seeds of Equanimity: Knowing and Being” (affiliate link). Dr. Uebel explores equanimity as a flexible, spacious, and open way of relating to experience rather than changing external reality. Drawing on Stoicism, Daoism, Zen Buddhism, and ACT, Dr. Uebel explores the importance of the "what" of experience over chasing "why”. We explore mindfulness and Dr. Uebel offers a listening practice.

Show Highlights

Stoicism and Therapy Lens 

Defining Equanimity

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Purposeless Mindfulness

Practicing Just Listen

Names vs Identity

Key Takeaways Peace Process

Acceptance and Flow

Michael Uebel, PhD, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and Research Affiliate at the University of Texas, Austin. He has taught literature and theory at the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Texas, and has published widely on cultural and intellectual history and on mental health practice. His most recent book is Seeds of Equanimity: Knowing and Being (2025).

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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.

Psychotherapist and host Jessica Fowler interviews therapist Oona Metz about divorce and her book “Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women” (affiliate link).  For the past 15 years, Metz has specialized with working with women going through divorce and during todays episode, shares what she has learned and how to support women going through this transition. Previously, rates of divorce often surrounded addiction, affairs and abuse.  Metz shares that the reasons are more nuanced now.  Metz shares ways that women can grow through this difficult time.

Show Highlights:

Divorced today explained and why marriage end

Parenthood and the mental load

Emotional journey of divorce

Rebuilding identity

About the author:

Oona Metz is the author of Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women. Her book has been featured on The CBS Morning Show, in Time Magazine and on NPR’s Morning Edition. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, a Certified Group Psychotherapist and a Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association. Her writing has appeared in outlets including The Psychotherapy Networker, Psychology Today, Social Work Voice and the Los Angeles Review. She has 30 years of clinical experience and specializes in treating women navigating divorce. Oona leads three weekly Divorce Support Groups for Women and is the founder of the Beacon Group Fellowship, a program which trains mental health professionals across the country to lead divorce groups.

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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.

Psychotherapist and host Jessica Fowler interviews CBT specialist Deborah Dobson, PhD about her book, Living Well with Social Anxiety: Practical Strategies for Improving Your Daily Life (affiliate link). Dobson shares her definition of social anxiety, which includes avoidance and reassurance seeking from partners, friends, and therapists. Dobson shares psychoeducation, values-based goal setting, coping and grounding skills, as we discuss social anxiety.

Show Highlights

Why Social Anxiety

Defining Social Anxiety

Avoidance and Safety Behaviors

Rumination After Events

Psychoeducation And Early Roots

Parenting Shy Kids

Exposure Based Treatment

Practice Examples and Games

Coping And Grounding Tools

Maintaining Skills Long Term

Real World Scenarios

Deborah Dobson, PhD has specialized in cognitive behavior therapy throughout her career, particularly in the understanding and treatment of social anxiety disorder. She began the first Certificate program in CBT in Western Canada through the University of Calgary.  She has provided supervision and training in cognitive behavior therapy in Canada and internationally. Her textbooks (along with co-author Keith Dobson) Evidence-Based Practice of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (2009, 2017) have been adopted by many clinical training programs. Her new book Living Well with Social Anxiety: Practical Strategies for Improving Your Daily Life (2026) is intended for anyone affected by social anxiety.

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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.

Psychotherapist and host Jessica Fowler interviews Shaina Siber, LCSW—founder of Affirm Mental Health and host of the Affirming Minds podcast—about burnout and Shaina’s book, Using ACT and CFT for Burnout Recovery: Beyond the Blueprint (affiliant link). Shaina shares about her own burnout after working in a hospital during COVID, where burnout and moral injury were pervasive. Shaina explores symptoms of burnout such as exhaustion, cynicism/disengagement, cognitive impairment, and emotional impairment.  Shaina explores how values and self-compassion play a role in recovery of burnout. 

Show Highlights

Why Burnout

Defining Burnout Signs

First Steps and Values

Systemic Causes and Fixes

Book Blueprint Overview

Self-Compassion That Works

Favorite Exercises and Tools

About the author:

Shaina Siber, LCSW, is the founder of Affirm Mental Health, an accredited continuing education program for therapists and the host of The Affirming Minds Podcast. She is an integrative therapist and educator with over 15 years of experience. She specializes in burnout recovery for high achievers, healthcare workers and parents and champions trauma informed, culturally humble and LGBTQ affirming care.

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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.

Book (affiliate link)

Psychotherapist and host Jessica Fowler interviews Laura Knauss, PhD all things ADHD as we discuss her book Living Well with Adult ADHD: Practical Strategies for Improving Your Daily Life. DR. Knauss describes adult ADHD as a disorder of self-regulation affecting school, work, parenting, driving, and relationships, often involving emotional impulsivity and follow-through challenges. The book can be read cover to cover or as a practical, pick-what-you-need resource with brief assessments that identify a problem and then directs its readers to targeted strategies, while also building in acceptance and self-compassion to counter self-mistrust and negative self-talk. Dr. Knouse explains CBT for adult ADHD as skills-focused support for executive functioning plus working on thoughts and feelings, including “permission-giving” thoughts.

Show Highlights

Adult ADHD Explained

Self-Compassion and Identity

CBT for Adult ADHD

Choice Points and Momentum

Three Parts in the book

Favorite Hacks

Research Support and Next Steps

About the author:

Dr Knouse is a professor of psychology at the University of Richmond and a licensed clinical psychologist. At Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, she received specialized training in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for adults with ADHD and contributed to research on this approach. Dr. Knouse continues to research and write about how CBT for adults with ADHD can be improved and implemented--from  how college students with ADHD can study more efficiently to how thoughts may hinder the use of new skills. Dr. Knouse is the author of over 40 research articles and co-author of Thriving in College with ADHD: A CBT skills approach and Living Well with ADHD: Practical Strategies for Improving Your Daily Life.

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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.

Book (affiliate link)

Psychotherapist and podcast host Jessica Fowler interviews Jesse Finklestein, PsyD. who co-authored Real Skills for Real Life: A DBT Guide to Navigating Stress, Emotions and Relationships with Shireen L. Rizvi, PhD.  In this episode, we explore the modules of DBT which include mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness can be used to help people in everyday life.  In addition, Dr. Finklestein explains DBT’s skills can help toward change not just in behavior but in creating hope and tolerating pain. He describes the book’s accessible, design-driven format, including having visual elements and “skills paths” to help readers choose tools for specific situations.  

Show Highlights:

Values Versus Goals

Why DBT Skills Matter

Four DBT Modules

Skills Not Identity

How The Book Works

Design And Accessibility

Dialectics And Connection

About the author:

Dr. Jesse Finkelstein is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapies, including DBT and exposure-based treatments. He is the founder of Axis Psychology in New York (axiscbt.com) and Chief Content Officer at TheraHive (therahive.com), a platform focused on psychoeducation skills.

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*Information on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.

Book (affiliate link)

Psychotherapist and host Jessica Fowler interviews sports and health psychologist Dr. Carly Hunt about her book, Train Your Brain to Beat Chronic Pain: How to Harness the Power of the Mind-Body Connection.  In addition to sharing about her history of childhood medical trauma and intermittent pain, Dr. Hunt explores many aspects of chronic pain including how trauma can contribute to nervous system sensitization.  Dr. Hunt emphasizes building a multidisciplinary care team, activity pacing with time-contingent rest, and mindfulness to reduce pain-related worry.

Show Highlights

How Chronic Pain Works

Grief/Hope Stressors

How to Start with Understanding/Accepting Chronic Pain

Mindfulness Skills

Pain Reprocessing Therapy

Five Percent Wins

Integrative Care Plan

About the author:

Dr. Carly Hunt is a sport & health psychologist, author, consultant, and former D1 golfer. Her holistic approach blends sport, health, and positive psychology to help people build inner resources that support excellence and mind-body health. She completed her BA in Psychology from Georgetown University, MA in Kinesiology and PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Maryland, and postdoctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Find her on the web at www.presentmindconsulting.com and www.thinkbettergolf.com.

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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.

Book (affiliate link)

*Trigger warning as we are discussing reproductive trauma.

Psychotherapist and podcast host Jessica Fowler interviews Bethany (Beth) Warren, LCSW, PMH-C about reproductive trauma as we explore her book, Healing from Reproductive Trauma:  A Workbook for Survivors of Traumatic Infertility Journeys, Pregnancies and Births.  During our discussion Bethany Warren shares about her 25 plus years working with the birthing population and what this population will need for support.  During our conversation we explore the definition of reproductive trauma, common triggers, the impact on family, the need for support for the partner and much more. 

Show Highlights

Why Reproductive Trauma Work

Defining Reproductive Trauma

Symptoms and Triggers

Why a Workbook Formate

Self-Validation and Healing

Partners and Family Support

Who the Book is For

Provider Trauma and Training

About the author: 

Bethany (Beth) Warren, LCSW, PMH-C is a perinatal psychotherapist in private practice in San Diego, California and has worked in reproductive mental health for over 25 years. She is author of the books: The Pregnancy and Postpartum Mood Workbook and most recently, Healing From Reproductive Trauma. Her 3rd book, about trauma-informed care in perinatal spaces is due out next year.

Beth is certified in EMDR therapy and Perinatal Mental Health, specializing in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, treating perinatal OCD, birth and reproductive trauma, pregnancy loss, and infertility. Her work is rooted in trauma-informed and person-centered care from an attachment lens. She is passionate about spreading awareness about mental health treatment and prevention and is regularly featured on podcasts and gives trainings on perinatal mental health and trauma.

She is also an EMDRIA approved consultant and facilitates EMDR therapy trainings. Beth is a current member and previously served as the President of the Board of the Postpartum Health Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting awareness of Perinatal Mental Health and accessibility of quality mental healthcare for all parents.

The information on the podcast What Your Therapist is Reading and on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and although Jessica Fowler is a licensed clinical social worker in New York State, this program is not intended to provide mental health  treatment and does not constitute a patient/therapist relationship.

Follow along on social media @therapybookspodcast

*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.

Book (affiliate link)

Psychotherapist and podcast host Jessica Fowler interviews licensed clinical social worker and author Sophia Valle Galano about teen anxiety and her book, Calming Teen Anxiety: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Teenager Cope with Worry. Sophia Valle Galano explains that teen anxiety often looks different than adult anxiety and may appear as overwhelm, school refusal, panic symptoms, isolation, or irritability. Adults should assess frequency and the degree of impairment. Sophia and Jessica explore what to do when teens refuse therapy, including brainstorming alternative supports.  Sophia emphasizes boundaries around teen therapy, not over-involving parents or grilling teens afterward, and highlights listening, collaboration, preventive approaches, and not avoiding difficult topics like substance use and sexual health to build trust and safety.

Show Highlights

What Teen Anxiety Looks Like

When Teens Refuse Therapy

Boundaries around Therapy

Hands off Parenting Shift

Empathy Exercises for Parents

Modern Pressures Tech and AI

About the author:

Sophia Vale Galano is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, author, speaker, teacher and practicing therapist. Sophia was born in Los Angeles, raised in London, and holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from New York University. She has been providing therapy since 2015 and has over a decade of experience working with adults and adolescents. Sophia has treated individuals and families in her private practice while also providing therapy in medical, educational, residential and outpatient settings. She is an expert at treating teenage anxiety, and is the author of the book, Calming Teenage Anxiety: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Teenager Cope with Worry.

The information on the podcast What Your Therapist is Reading and on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and although Jessica Fowler is a licensed clinical social worker in New Yor State, this program is not intended to provide mental health treatment and does not constituent a patient/therapist relationship.