Therapy Chat | Psychotherapy | Mindfulness | Trauma | Attachment | Worthiness | Self Care | Parenting

Welcome to episode 96 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. My guest this week is Maya Benattar. Maya is a music psychotherapist, but you might also call her a mindfulness mentor, a creativity coach, or a big fan of slowing down.  Maya helps women who long to experience true clarity and confidence in themselves and their lives, but are held back by anxiety or fear. She supports them in slowing down and exploring their lives creatively so they can make significant changes and discover the strong, confident woman they can be.  She knows from her own life and many years of helping other women that putting yourself first and asking for help can kick up a lot of fear and shame – but she strongly believes that slowing down and looking inside can help you become strong, passionate, sensitive, and brave.  As a trained and experienced therapist she has a Masters degree from NYU and is an NYS licensed psychotherapist), she knows a lot about how to slow down your hectic life, explore your dr

Welcome to episode 95 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. My guest this week is Duane Osterlind. As co-founder of NOVUS Mindful Life Institute, Duane Osterlind’s vision is to provide comprehensive care for individuals struggling with process addictions in the utmost confidential, comprehensive and caring environment to ensure clients feel safe and accepted with anticipation that recovery is possible. Duane has over eight years of experience as a therapist helping individuals find hope and healing. He received his Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Long Beach. He has also trained with Patrick Carnes, P.hD., a leading expert in the treatment of sexual addiction issues and author of “Out of the Shadows”. He is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), and the Society of Sexual Health (SASH). MFT#44567 Duane’s clinical focus is on treating individuals and couples struggling with process addictions using a

Welcome to episode 94 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. My guest this week is Deirdre Fay, MSW, LICSW, who integrates trauma and attachment theory with yoga and meditation in embodiment. She is also the founder of the Becoming Safely Embodied Skills and maintains a private practice in Arlington, MA. The work she does arises out of her life. What she knows is grounded in her own healing as well as rigorous training as a psychotherapist looking for answers and ways to help others navigate the often-difficult terrain of healing trauma and attachment wounds. Deirdre knows what it’s like to make that journey. She did it dealing with her own history of trauma and as she searched for answers to relational and attachment issues. During the course of her life, she was lucky to have lived for six years in a spiritual community [Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health] which surrounded her with a nurturing environment. That experience grounded Deirdre in her commitment to finding ways to help other

Laura recaps on common themes that have emerged throughout previous episodes and also talks further about equine-assisted therapy and the benefits of spending times with horses. Now 44 years old, Laura is more determined than ever to increase the amount of time she spends with horses, whilst her body has changed quite a bit since she first rode a horse when she was 13, it's safe to say that her heart hasn't changed much, if at all, as she learned through this experience. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. Http://therapychatpodcast.com   Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Welcome to episode 92 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. My guest this week is Jasmin Lee Cori, who speaks to me about emotionally absent mothers and the affects of childhood emotional neglect. Jasmin became a therapist at the tender age of 24 and didn’t last long, as might be expected for someone who had yet to do her own healing work. When she reached 40, she uncovered childhood trauma, which began her journey of descent. She was a student of The Diamond Approach at that time, a spiritual school conversant with the intertwining of psychological and spiritual work. She was discovering her deeper essence at the same time she was dropping into dark places she hadn’t known were there; so during that time heaven and hell were unfolding simultaneously. This continued, with yet deeper dips into both. She lost her voice, job and suffered significant health challenges and financial struggle. Yet in the midst of being flattened, sick in bed, she midwifed a book of mystical poetry in a matter

Welcome to episode 91 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. My guest this week is Chonteau McElvin, who has been described as modern day medicine woman. Chonteau wears many hats but her main reason for being on the planet is to assist in the awakening and remembrance that we are all connected and the time to step into our brilliance is now. In her early 20’s she received a vision and was told by Spirit that she was a teacher and healer of the old ways. This is when her modern day Shamanic training began. She completed her formal education as a Social Worker, followed in the footsteps of her father and became a Naturalist. At 20, her father taught her how to do self-hypnotism and she began to hone her skills as a Mindfulness Practition er, Folk Healer, and Herbalist. For as long as she can remember she has been giving to others. As a child, she remembers being a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, she served lunch to “at risk” children. The spirit of service was instilled in her at an early ag

Welcome to episode 90 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. In this week's episode, I speak to Margot Borden about psychospiritual therapy, combining eastern approaches and western psychology and find out more about her new book “psychology in the light of the east”. Margot Borden has been working internationally as a psychotherapist since 1986 and specializes in an approach called Integral Psychotherapy. Read more about Integral Psychotherapy. Margot completed her first personal development training in 1985 and began her professional psychotherapy practice in 1986. In addition to earning a Master of Arts in Humanistic Counseling at the University of Durham, UK, Margot continues to participate in professional training and certification programs. Margot has a long-term dedication to personal and professional exploration of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of human consciousness. Her search involves ongoing exploration and experience of many psychological and spiri

Welcome to episode 89 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. In this week's episode, I’m delighted to welcome back Lisa Ferentz who speaks to me about her new book Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons from the Therapist which looks at how you can overcome everyday obstacles, boost confidence, and end self-critical thoughts with simple life lessons. Lisa is a recognized expert in the strengths-based, depathologized treatment of trauma and has been in private practice for 32 years. She presents workshops and keynote addresses nationally and internationally, and is a clinical consultant to practitioners and mental health agencies in the United States, Canada, and the UK. She has been an Adjunct Faculty member at University of Maryland School of Social Work, University of Baltimore at Maryland, University of Maryland Department of Family Medicine, and is the Founder of The Ferentz Institute, formerly known as The Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy Training and Educati

Welcome to episode 88 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. In this week's episode, I speak to Stephanie Macadaan, LMFT about how we can turn some of the most negative experiences in our lives to a source of strength, the need to not shield ourselves from negative experiences and stepping out of our comfort zones to further our personal growth. Stephanie Macadaan, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, providing individual and couples counseling in Los Angeles, California. She first became interested in studying psychology when many of her own life experiences fueled her fascination with the minds and behaviors found with each of us. Through her studies, she found she was on the path to discovering herself, which led to great personal growth and more happiness. The profound changes she underwent drove her passion to help others, and she was compelled to become a therapist. She knows from her own experience what it’s like to be open and to create powerful change that reverberate

Some points to ponder if you are struggling to let go. What was it like for you to move out of your parents’ home and into adulthood? Did you go to college? Did you live with your parents past the age of 18? When were you ready to move out? Were your parents ready for you to go before you were ready? Or were you ready to go before your parents wanted you to leave? Individuation is a developmental task every young adult must complete in order to become an independent and self sufficient adult. Some families discourage individuation by refusing to allow children and adolescents to express their own individuality. Conformity is highly valued and dissent is not tolerated. These parent/child relationships can be described as enmeshed, when the child and the parent are not felt to be independent people, but rather the children are seen by the parents as an extension of the parents. When you make a mistake, I feel ashamed that you have embarrassed the family. Some kids rebel and express themselves through their appe

Welcome to episode 86 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. In this week's episode, I’m flying solo to talk about coping with loss during transitions, my thoughts and feelings and ways to improve how you feel through this transitional period in your life.   This week is an exciting one for our family, as our oldest child graduates from high school in a few days. It's a joyful and exciting time - but there are some underlying feelings of sadness and loss which have caught me by surprise.  I know that many of you are experiencing a similar transition in the life of your family, as graduation and wedding season begin. I thought I'd share my thoughts and feelings, and how I'm coping with the changes, in hopes that it will be helpful to you, too. As I've been eagerly anticipating his graduation I've been very proud and excited for my child. My thoughts are that this is a wonderful milestone in his life.  I'm so happy that he has successfully completed his high scho

Welcome to episode 85 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. In this week's episode, I’m delighted to welcome back the first ever guest of the podcast; Mercedes Samudio who speaks to me about parent shaming, how culture plays into what we view is ok and not ok and the need to help parents and not label them as bad people. Mercedes Samudio is a parent coach who supports parents and children to communicate with each other, manage emotional trauma, navigate social media and technology together, and develop healthy parent-child relationships. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a private parent coaching practice, Mercedes has worked with adoptive families, foster families, teen parents, parents navigating the child protective services system, and children living with mental illness. Mercedes seeks to empower parents to believe that they are already great guides for raising healthy and happy children. Being raised by someone who was not her biological mother (but who she called mom)

Welcome to episode 84 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. In this week's episode, I talk about Mother’s Day. As another Mother's Day approaches, you may be feeling a little less than enthusiastic about the big day. No need to feel guilty if it doesn't feel joyful to you. You're not alone! Most of my clients and a good number of my friends share that they have mixed feelings about Mother's Day too. This post is for all of you out there who hate the second Sunday in May for whatever reason. And there can be lots of reasons! There are so many reasons why people find negative emotions coming up near Mother's Day. Here are some that I hear frequently, along with a few suggestions for dealing with these feelings. Feel free to share any ideas I missed in the comments below. 4 reasons why people say they hate Mother's Day: "I hate Mother's Day because my mom's not here. Mother's Day reminds me how much I miss her and makes me wish I could tell her on

Welcome to episode 83 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. In this week's episode, I speak to Dr. Kat Kaeni about the issue of Maternal Mental Health, which is all about your mental health during conception, pregnancy, miscarriage or loss, birth and postpartum. Dr. Kat is a psychologist, who helps you find ways out of suffering or confusion and into wellness. People go to her psychotherapy practice when they are struggling with things in their life and want to feel better. Her style of working with people is to be real and keep therapy down to earth. In her sessions, she uses compassion, insight, and empathy in addition to her education and training to guide your healing. Her belief is that therapy should not be a mysterious process. She believes that you have the ability to get better. Sometimes we just need a little help; sometimes we need a lot of help. You may have heard of postpartum depression already. There are other things that most folks don’t know about…It’s not always rai

Welcome to episode 82 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. In this week's episode, I speak to Carolyn Daitch, Ph.D. who has been a psychologist in private practice for more than 30 years. She is a psychologist, trainer, author and presenter, and the director of the Center for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Dr. Daitch is a consultant with the University of Michigan School of Medicine’s Department of Complementary and Alternative Research. She has served three terms on the Executive Council of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) and as a member-at-large, Psychology. She has also been elected an officer in Division 30, of the American Psychological Association. She was the Educational co-chair of the Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. Dr. Daitch is the recipient of two Presidential awards from the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis for her writing, teaching, and contributions to ASCH. She is also past-president of the Michi

Welcome to episode 81 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week's episode is a solo episode with myself expanding more on trauma, what you think it is: and what you can do if you have experienced it. If you listened to episode 79 with Dr. Gabor Maté, you’ll be interested in this episode, in that episode we defined what trauma was, but there is still confusion around what trauma is, so I hope this episode will help in explaining further what trauma is and the issues around it. When you hear the word "trauma," what do you think of? If you're like most people, you probably imagine that people experience the effects of trauma after a plane crash, surviving a fire, a major car accident, or participating in military combat. It's true that all of those things can cause someone to experience trauma symptoms, but there are many other traumatic experiences which are more common in the general population that we don't always recognize as being traumatic. I must point o

Welcome to episode 80 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week's episode features Amy Sugeno, LCSW, PLLC. If you listened to episode 79 with Dr. Gabor Maté, you’ll be interested in this interview with Amy Sugeno, LCSW of Marble Falls, Texas, who is a clinical eco-therapist. Amy talks about what Eco Therapy is, the research on its use and effectiveness with depression and anxiety, stress relief, ADHD, grounding and self-regulation for trauma survivors. Amy explains that Eco Therapy can take many forms, including animal-assisted (for example, canine and equine) therapies, wilderness therapies, walk and talk therapy, horticulture therapy and clinical eco-therapy in an office, as well as many other possibilities. She explains that this is a depth-oriented type of psychotherapy which can be very powerful. Amy describes how she conducts an eco-therapy session what to wear and what a client can expect overall. She and Laura discuss the power dynamics of the therapy relationship and h

  Welcome to episode 79 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week's episode features Dr. Gabor Maté. Dr. Maté is the co-founder of Compassion for Addiction, a new non-profit that focuses on addiction. He is also an advisor of Drugs over Dinner. As an author, Dr. Maté has written several bestselling books including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction; When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress; and Scattered Minds: A New Look at the Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder, and co-authored Hold on to Your Kids. His works have been published internationally in twenty languages. For twelve years Dr. Maté worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with patients challenged by hard-core drug addiction, mental illness and HIV, including at Vancouver’s Supervised Injection Site. With over 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience and extensive knowledge of the latest findings of leading-edge research, Dr. Maté is

Welcome to episode 78 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week's episode features Lanie Smith.   Lanie Smith is the founder of Integrative Art Therapy in Phoenix, AZ helping kids, teens and adults express themselves through art to improve wellness. Art therapy is the creative process of art-making to improve and enhance the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of individuals of all ages. The creative process offers an outlet for self-expression and helps to resolve conflicts, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem/awareness, and alter the brain state to improve overall functioning. As an Eco-Art Therapist and the owner/founder of Integrative Art Therapy, she has watched so many clients learn how to “bring the inside out and the outside in.” Her passion is to help you recognize your own innate beauty and wisdom as it’s reflected in the trees, mountains, wildlife, and in your own creativity. Her practice is designed to

Welcome to episode 77 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week's episode features Adena Bank Lees.   Recognized as an energetic presenter and integrative thinker, Adena Bank Lees has been offering expert services in training, consulting and psychotherapy around the globe for over 25 years. She possesses the ability to energize others to create, implement new ideas and incorporate them into their professional and personal lives. Adena's love of psychodrama was sparked way back in 1989 while employed as a post-master's intern at the Caron Foundation, Wernersville PA. She knew immediately this was the theory and modality of transformation she would utilize as the underpinning of her life's work. She received her C.P. February 7, 2014, after 25 years of study and raising then launching her only son to independence. Adena is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed and Internationally Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress, a