The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy

Épisodes

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  Suffering Is Collective, and So Is Healing: Belonging, Ritual, and Meaning in Uncertain Times - An Interview with Suzan Song, MD 17.08.2026 40min

  Suffering Is Collective, and So Is Healing: Belonging, Ritual, and Meaning in Uncertain Times - An Interview with Suzan Song, MD Suzan Song, MD, psychiatrist and medical anthropologist, on why suffering is collective and healing comes through belonging, ritual, and meaning. Curt and Katie talk with Suzan Song, MD about why the exhaustion so many therapists and clients are carrying right now is not only personal. Drawing on more than two decades of global mental health work with survivors of war, trafficking, and mass violence, Suzan makes the case that distress is often collective, shaped by culture and unstable systems, and that healing happens through belonging, narrative, ritual, meaning, and agency, not symptom elimination alone. She names what American mental health training often misses when it treats suffering as something bounded inside a single person, and offers concrete, low-cost rituals therapists can use to stay grounded. The conversation moves from collective grief and moral exhaustion to the difference between functioning and healing, and to grounding in relationship: who you matter to, and who matters to you. This is a grounding conversation for therapists feeling stretched by the current moment, and for anyone drawn to a global mental health lens on collective trauma, ritual, and sustainable healing. In this episode, we discuss: - Why the distress therapists and clients carry right now is collective, not only individual - What American mental health training misses when it locates suffering inside a bounded self - How belonging, narrative, ritual, and meaning function as healing - Why functioning is not the same as healing - Grounding in relationship as an alternative to purely individual nervous-system regulation - How small acts of agency protect against demoralization - Low-cost rituals therapists can use to keep moral exhaustion from following them home Timestamps: 01:44 - Who Suzan Song is and what she puts into the world 02:58 - How a medical anthropology lens changes clinical work 05:34 - When the self is collective, not bounded 09:18 - Collective suffering and the loss of agency 12:18 - Moral injury and disengagement in therapists 17:23 - Finding your own rituals as a therapist 24:07 - Grounding in relationship 28:13 - Why functioning is not healing Guest Bio: Suzan Song, MD, MPH, PhD is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and medical anthropologist, and a professor of psychiatry at George Washington University. She has spent more than two decades advising on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in humanitarian and conflict-affected settings, and is the author of Why We Suffer and How We Heal (Harmony / Penguin Random House, 2026). Learn more at suzansong.com. Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Sustainability Is a Fundamental Responsibility: Therapist Burnout, Moral Injury, and the Systems We Practice Within 10.08.2026 39min

  Sustainability Is a Fundamental Responsibility: Therapist Burnout, Moral Injury, and the Systems We Practice Within Therapist burnout, sustainability, and moral injury, and why fixing burnout can't land on individual clinicians alone. Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT kick off a series of discussions on modern therapist principles with the one that shapes almost everything they cover: sustainability is a fundamental responsibility, paired with the reminder that therapists are human first. Nine years into the show, they revisit a question they keep returning to. If therapist burnout is a systemic problem, why does the job of solving it keep landing on individual clinicians? It is a framing the show has argued for since 2017, and it still cuts against most of the advice therapists are sold about fixing their own burnout by charging their worth and tightening their own schedules. This episode holds a both/and at its center. You are responsible for practicing competently and staying well enough to do the work, and yet shrinking reimbursement, vertically integrating insurance companies, inconsistent platforms, and constant collective crisis sit far outside any one therapist's control. Curt and Katie talk honestly about martyrdom, moral injury, and the polished corporate language now reshaping the field, then name the four places where sustainability tends to break down: too much work, not enough of the right work, work that betrays your values, and isolation. They also name what is shifting fastest right now, from AI and insurance chatbots to platforms that lower fees and fragment how clinicians document their work. Burnout is not a personal failing, and sustainability is not something you can white-knuckle alone. This conversation makes the case for navigating the system as it is, a refusal to accept that it has to stay that way, and building community on purpose, through consultation groups, networks, and professional relationships, as one of the few reliable protections therapists have. It is honest company for a problem the profession has not solved, plus a look at the collective work that might eventually move it. In this episode, we discuss: - Why therapist burnout is a systemic problem, not an individual failing - How to hold the both/and of working within the system while working to change it - The four ways sustainability breaks down, and how to spot them in your own practice - Why moral injury and isolation can be harder to carry than sheer overwork - How consultation and community become a real strategy for sustainability - What collective action, including guild-style organizing, could eventually require Timestamps: - 01:17 - The principle: sustainability is a fundamental responsibility, and therapists are human first - 04:41 - Nine years in: why systemic burnout still isn't fixed - 06:47 - Martyrdom, sacrificial helping, and band-aiding a broken system - 10:21 - What years of burnout and advocacy episodes have taught us - 16:31 - Seductive corporate language and the insurance chatbot future - 20:33 - Four ways sustainability gets hindered - 23:36 - Isolation and strategically building community - 26:31 - Building the plane while flying it: delayed competence and shared trauma - 32:10 - No more therapist martyrdom, and a word from Audre Lorde Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  What It Means to Be a Modern Therapist: The Principles That Guide Our Work 03.08.2026 32min

  What It Means to Be a Modern Therapist: The Principles That Guide Our Work Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT, on the principles that define a sustainable, ethical, modern therapy practice. After nearly nine years and almost 500 episodes, Curt and Katie step back to name what the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide actually stands for. This episode lays out the guiding principles behind the show, the standards they hold and the practices they refuse, and reintroduces the hosts and the experience that shapes how they show up. Across nearly a decade of conversations, the same themes keep resurfacing. Therapists are human first, and neutrality is more myth than reality. Sustainability is a professional responsibility, not a luxury, which means martyrdom, self-sacrifice, and exploitative business models are no-goes rather than badges of dedication. Clinical depth matters more than ever in an era of influencer psychology, short-form content, and AI. Representation and inclusion strengthen the field, while gatekeeping and elitism weaken it. Systems shape practice in ways no amount of self-care can fix. Therapists are stewards of their own profession through advocacy, leadership, and calling each other in. And the work has to keep evolving, met with critical thinking rather than fear-based rejection or unexamined enthusiasm. Curt and Katie also explain why they are naming these principles now: to frame a run of upcoming deep dives that take these themes further with guests and conversations built to move past lip service. Taken together, the principles work less like a mission statement and more like a filter for the decisions therapists face every week, from which job to take to which trend to adopt and which one to let pass. Whether you have listened since the beginning or found the show last week, this is a clear look at where Curt and Katie are coming from, and an invitation to build a practice that is more human, more sustainable, and more connected to a community of therapists working through the same questions you are. In this episode, we discuss: - Why "therapists are human first" still matters in an era of corporate consolidation and AI - How to build a sustainable practice free from martyrdom - What keeps clinical depth relevant against influencer psychology and short-form content - Why representation, inclusion, and systems awareness strengthen the whole field - How therapists can act as stewards of the profession without shaming or policing - What it looks like to evolve with the field through critical thinking, not fear or hype Timestamps: - 00:15 - Nine years in: why this episode now - 02:54 - Curt and Katie reintroduce themselves - 06:46 - The modern therapist principles and no-goes - 07:09 - Therapists are human first - 10:26 - Sustainability as a fundamental responsibility - 12:49 - Clinical depth over simplification - 16:21 - Representation and inclusion strengthen the field - 18:57 - Systems shape practice - 20:49 - Therapists as stewards of the profession - 22:55 - Evolving with the field through critical thinking - 25:21 - An invitation to join the community Full show notes and resources: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Are We Really Better at Empathy Than the Bots? What the Research Says About AI in Therapy 27.07.2026 49min

  Are We Really Better at Empathy Than the Bots? What the Research Says About AI in Therapy AI in therapy, therapy chatbots, and AI empathy: what the latest research actually says, and what it means for your clinical work. Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT close out AI month by setting the hot takes aside and looking at what the research actually says about AI in mental health. They walk through the Dartmouth Therabot randomized controlled trial, where an expert-built, safety-monitored therapy chatbot outperformed a waitlist control, and a Communications Psychology study in which third-party raters judged AI-generated responses as more compassionate than those of expert human crisis responders. The findings are uncomfortable, and that's the point. In short in-the-moment exchanges, AI empathy can read as warmer than a human's, which is exactly the kind of result that makes therapists defensive. Curt and Katie talk through what these studies do and do not show, why a quick hit of empathy is not the same as a real therapeutic relationship, and the safety risks of consumer-grade chatbots that can validate delusions or miss a crisis. This is a conversation about staying credible instead of fearful: getting literate about AI therapy tools, talking with clients honestly about where these tools help and where they are dangerous, and leaning into the clinical depth, presence, and human connection that AI cannot fake. In this episode, we discuss: - What the Therabot trial really shows about AI therapy chatbots: better than a waitlist, not better than a human therapist - Why third-party raters judged AI as more compassionate than expert crisis responders - The difference between in-the-moment empathy and the long-term therapeutic relationship - How sycophancy and "context pollution" can make AI empathy feel good while keeping clients stuck - The safety risks of consumer-grade chatbots, and the regulation starting to address them - How to talk with clients about AI in a way that makes you more credible, not less Timestamps: 00:15 - Welcome and the two traps therapists fall into with AI 06:24 - The Therabot trial: AI therapy chatbots vs. a waitlist control 09:14 - Do people rate AI as more empathetic than human responders? 12:56 - Sycophancy, context pollution, and deceptive empathy 19:40 - Safety, crisis risk, and the regulation that is coming 26:27 - What people actually want in a crisis moment 35:45 - Be credible, not fearful: talking with clients about AI 37:40 - Deliver what AI can't fake: presence and clinical depth 41:36 - Closing: be aggressively human Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  How AI Tools for Therapists Are Built: Trust, Data Privacy, and Choosing What to Adopt - An Interview with Ian Knox and Megan Toomey of SimplePractice 23.07.2026 41min

  How AI Tools for Therapists Are Built: Trust, Data Privacy, and Choosing What to Adopt - An Interview with Ian Knox and Megan Toomey Ian Knox and Megan Toomey of SimplePractice take therapists behind the scenes of how AI tools for mental health are actually built, trained, and kept secure. We're in the middle of AI month, and Curt and Katie wanted to move past the buzzwords and talk with the people who actually engineer this technology. As part of the show's partnership with SimplePractice, they sit down with Ian Knox, Chief Product Officer, and Megan Toomey, Sr. Director of Clinical Support AI Product Management, to pull back the curtain on how AI tools for therapists get designed, what "training the model" really means, and how client data is handled. They get specific about what to evaluate before adopting any AI tool, from vendor trust and HIPAA compliance to data practices, and why note taking is the most mature use case while insurance, scheduling, intake, and referral matching are still emerging. Ian and Megan also take on the fear that AI-first companies want to replace therapists, and explain why clinicians have to stay at the center of care and review anything they put their name on. This is a grounded, practical conversation for any therapist trying to decide what AI belongs in their practice, and what to be cautious about, without panic or hype. In this episode, we discuss: - How an EHR decides which clinician tasks AI is mature enough to help with - What to evaluate before trusting an AI vendor with client data - Why "HIPAA compliant" is a floor, not proof of strong security - What "training the model" does and does not mean, and why SimplePractice says it is not training an LLM on your data - How transcripts are retained, and the new opt-in for de-identified data - Why you remain responsible for every AI-assisted note you sign - How to talk with clients about AI and get meaningful consent Timestamps: 00:16 - AI month, and why we wanted to talk to people who build AI 01:33 - Who Ian and Megan are 03:21 - SimplePractice's history with AI tools 05:38 - What therapists should know when adding AI to a practice 08:44 - Where clinicians can streamline with AI 12:23 - How to choose which AI features to adopt 16:10 - Why you can't fully trust AI, and best practices 19:29 - What clinicians should know about their data 21:13 - The Trust Center, and "are you here to replace therapists?" 23:55 - How AI systems are trained (the puppy analogy) 27:00 - White-label LLMs and the "golden data set" 29:11 - De-identified transcripts and the opt-in 31:40 - Current tools and the product roadmap Guest bios: Ian Knox is Chief Product Officer at SimplePractice, with prior product leadership at Expedia and Microsoft. Megan Toomey is Sr. Director of Clinical Support AI Product Management at SimplePractice, leading the team building AI tools for behavioral health clinicians, with prior experience at Microsoft and Amazon. Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  When Clients Bring AI to Therapy: Working with ChatGPT, Sycophancy, and the New Third Wheel in the Room 20.07.2026 40min

  When Clients Bring AI to Therapy: Working with ChatGPT, Sycophancy, and the New Third Wheel in the Room Clients are bringing AI into therapy, from ChatGPT chat logs handed over as homework to AI companions that never disagree, and therapists need a clinical response. Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT dig into what happens when clients bring their own AI into the therapy room. The profession built ethics guidance for when therapists send clients toward AI, but it largely sidestepped the reality already showing up in sessions: clients processing the same issues with ChatGPT between appointments, using chatbots to interpret and respond to relationships, and increasingly offloading their social and dating lives onto AI companions. Drawing on emerging research about chatbot use, loneliness, emotional dependence, and sycophancy, Curt and Katie make the case that concern is more useful than alarm. Clients are already using these tools, so the clinical task is to assess how and why they are using them, provide psychoeducation on sycophancy, confidentiality, and safety, and separate the healthy, adaptive uses from the problematic ones. They also share concrete in-session moves: entering the opposite position to expose how a chatbot validates any side, reframing how clients use AI for medical and diagnostic questions, and recognizing when AI has become a client's primary support system, along with how to begin weaning a client back toward real-world connection. In this episode, we discuss: - The three main ways clients are bringing AI into the therapy room - Why a client's AI use can be a clinical opportunity, not only a risk - How to assess the function and pattern of a client's AI use - What the research suggests about chatbot use, loneliness, and sycophancy - How to teach critical thinking and protect client confidentiality - What to do when a client has become dependent on AI Timestamps: 00:15 - AI as the new "third wheel" in the therapy room 04:15 - Three ways AI is showing up in clients' lives 05:55 - What the research suggests: loneliness, dependence, and sycophancy 10:24 - Why client AI use can be a clinical opportunity 13:24 - Assessing use and treating chatbots as public spaces 18:17 - Explaining AI's mechanics: it is not an objective third party 20:14 - A critical-thinking exercise: enter the opposite position 24:47 - Using AI for medical and diagnostic questions 30:53 - When a client is already dependent on AI Full show notes and resources: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Why AI Mental Health Chatbots Fail When It Matters Most: The Hidden Vulnerabilities Stress-Testing Reveals – An Interview with Shirali and Arul Nigam of Circuit Breaker Labs 13.07.2026 47min

  Why AI Mental Health Chatbots Fail When It Matters Most: The Hidden Vulnerabilities Stress-Testing Reveals - An Interview with Shirali and Arul Nigam of Circuit Breaker Labs Shirali and Arul Nigam of Circuit Breaker Labs on why AI mental health chatbots fail, how stress-testing exposes their hidden vulnerabilities, and what therapists need to know. Curt and Katie talk with Shirali and Arul Nigam, the sibling co-founders of Circuit Breaker Labs, about what therapists tend to get wrong about AI, why the safety infrastructure behind many mental health chatbots is weaker than it looks, and how their team stress-tests these tools to find dangerous failures before real users ever encounter them. Generative AI is probabilistic, so the same prompt can return a safe answer one moment and a harmful one the next. Shirali and Arul explain how guardrails get bypassed by a misspelled word, a teenager's slang, or the hundredth message in a long conversation, why mental health chatbots tend to fail in the moments that matter most, and what stress-testing hundreds of thousands of simulated conversations actually reveals about model safety. The conversation closes on what clinicians can do now, why clinical insight is the missing ingredient in AI safety, and why third-party validation is becoming the standard regulators and developers expect. Used well, AI can be a supplement to care or a gateway to a human therapist, but it is not a replacement, and getting there safely starts with building clinical insight in from the foundation. In this episode, we discuss: - Why people usually turn to AI in place of no care, not in place of a therapist - Why generative AI's unpredictability, not a single bad answer, is the real safety problem - How a misspelling, slang, or a long conversation can slip past chatbot guardrails - Why AI mental health chatbots tend to fail in the highest-risk moments - What stress-testing hundreds of thousands of conversations reveals about model safety - Why clinical insight is the missing ingredient, and what clinicians can do now Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:38 - Meet Shirali and Arul Nigam and Circuit Breaker Labs 3:37 - What therapists get wrong about AI 5:28 - Deterministic versus generative AI, and why the risk scales 8:26 - The safety problem in AI mental health: trust, training data, and agreeableness 11:29 - Guardrails, lifeguard models, and the 988 problem 17:30 - Deploying clinical insight at scale and building safety in from the start 21:09 - How stress-testing works: context pollution and adversarial simulation 27:11 - What the stress tests reveal: variance, typos, and bypassed guardrails 30:59 - Regulation, credential hallucination, and third-party validation 36:58 - What clinicians can do, and the missing clinical insight 40:20 - Where to find Circuit Breaker Labs Guest Bios: Shirali and Arul Nigam are siblings and the co-founders of Circuit Breaker Labs, which autonomously pressure-tests the AI systems that interact with people to find hidden mental health vulnerabilities before they reach real users. Shirali brings expertise in neuroscience, translational research, and clinical work, with experience at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus, NIH NINDS, Harvard's Wyss Institute, Johns Hopkins, and Children's National. She holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering from The George Washington University and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Arul has conducted technical and policy research on ethical AI, with a focus on bias and fairness, at Georgetown University and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and holds a BSBA in Operations and Analytics from Georgetown University. Learn more at circuitbreakerlabs.ai. Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  AI Ethics Codes for Therapists: What CAMFT, APA, NASW, and AAMFT Now Require 06.07.2026 1h 10min

  AI Ethics Codes for Therapists: What CAMFT, APA, NASW, and AAMFT Now Require How the CAMFT, APA, NASW, and AAMFT ethics codes now regulate AI in therapy: a CE podcourse on competence, informed consent, data privacy, bias, and human accountability. Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT, walk through the recent artificial intelligence updates to the major mental health ethics codes. Centering on the new CAMFT updates and cross-referencing the APA, NASW, ACA, and AAMFT codes, they turn the new language into a practical roadmap for everyday clinical work. The conversation covers what competence with AI actually requires (closer to safely driving a car than building one), the three CAMFT obligations that travel together (disclosure, informed consent, and informed decision making), and a client's right to opt out. They get specific on data privacy, including business associate agreements and why "HIPAA compliant" is a marketing claim rather than a certification, on spotting demographic and medical-model bias in AI output, and on why the human in the loop still owns and is accountable for anything signed under their name. This continuing education podcourse is for therapists, supervisors, and clinical educators who want to use AI tools ethically and stay accountable in an automated world. In this episode, we discuss: - Why the codes aim for broad, durable AI principles instead of tool-specific rules - What competence with AI actually requires of a clinician - The three CAMFT obligations: disclosure, informed consent, and informed decision making - How to vet data privacy, including BAAs and why "HIPAA compliant" is only marketing - How to catch demographic and medical-model bias in AI output - Why the clinician remains responsible for anything produced under their name Timestamps: - 0:55 - Why the ethics codes are updating for AI - 3:30 - Defining artificial intelligence (California AB 2885) - 9:49 - The four Beauchamp and Childress principles - 12:28 - Timeline: CAMFT, APA, NASW, and AAMFT updates - 16:11 - Competence and the "driving a car" metaphor - 21:09 - Disclosure, informed consent, and the right to opt out - 33:18 - Data privacy, BAAs, and "HIPAA compliant" as marketing - 41:20 - Bias, social justice, and reading the output - 44:52 - The human in the loop and accountability - 53:12 - Is AI right for this client? - 1:00:59 - Supervision, education, and the AI vetting guide 1 CE unit is available through the Modern Therapist Learning Community: moderntherapistcommunity.com Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Supporting Conversion Therapy Survivors After Chiles v. Salazar: SOGIECE, Clinical Care, and Community Response – An Interview with Samuel Nieves 29.06.2026 47min

  Supporting Conversion Therapy Survivors After Chiles v. Salazar: SOGIECE, Clinical Care, and Community Response - An Interview with Samuel Nieves Samuel Nieves of the Conversion Therapy Survivor Network on supporting conversion therapy survivors, recognizing SOGIECE, and clinical care after Chiles v. Salazar. Curt and Katie welcome back Samuel Nieves, a conversion therapy survivor and board member of the Conversion Therapy Survivor Network, for a follow-up to their earlier conversation and to the host-led discussion of the Chiles v. Salazar decision. Rather than re-litigating the legal details, they focus on the clinical and human aftermath for survivors. Sam shares what he saw the day the ruling came down, how to recognize a conversion therapy survivor on your caseload (including memory loss and shifting narratives), why validation has to come before strengths work, and how to lead with curiosity instead of challenge. He explains SOGIECE, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression change efforts, and why naming it can be the validation that lets a survivor finally call their experience what it was. The conversation also sits with why reducing these practices to "speech" misses the harm, what licensing boards and clinicians owe survivors, and how survivors and the advocates who serve them stay in the work through firm boundaries and intentional queer joy. This is a grounded, affirming episode for any clinician working with LGBTQ+ clients. In this episode, we discuss: - How to recognize a conversion therapy survivor on your caseload - Why validation has to come before strengths-based work - How to lead with curiosity instead of challenge with traumatized clients - What SOGIECE is and why naming it can be profoundly validating - Why framing conversion therapy as "speech" misses the real harm - What licensing boards and the profession owe survivors - How survivors and advocates sustain themselves through boundaries and queer joy Timestamps: - 02:00 - Who Sam is and the Conversion Therapy Survivor Network - 03:14 - The day the Chiles v. Salazar decision came down - 06:26 - Validation before strengths with survivors - 09:04 - What well-meaning therapists can miss - 11:10 - The public "permission" and its harm to survivors - 18:40 - Why "it's just speech" misses the harm - 22:10 - SOGIECE, allies, and survivor organizations - 27:45 - What the profession owes survivors - 32:21 - Solution-focused therapy, ACT, and queer joy - 35:01 - How Sam sustains himself in the work Guest Bio: Samuel Nieves (he/they) is a board member of the Conversion Therapy Survivor Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting survivors of conversion therapy and SOGIECE worldwide. Trained as a marriage and family therapist, Sam advocates online as "CantPrayMeAway" and helps facilitate the organization's weekly survivor support group. Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Should Conversion Therapy Be Protected Speech? What Chiles v. Salazar Means for Conversion Therapy Bans and the Future of the Profession 22.06.2026 41min

  Should Conversion Therapy Be Protected Speech? What Chiles v. Salazar Means for Conversion Therapy Bans and the Future of the Profession In Chiles v. Salazar, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 that a therapist's talk therapy is protected speech, putting state conversion therapy bans at risk. Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT break down what the March 31, 2026 decision actually says, what it does not say, and what it means for therapists who work with LGBTQ+ clients. The Court did not call conversion therapy safe, effective, or ethical, and it did not make the practice mandatory. It treated talk therapy as speech rather than regulable conduct, and sent Colorado's ban back to the lower courts for stricter First Amendment review. Curt and Katie walk through the strict scrutiny test at the center of the case, the Kagan and Sotomayor concurrence, and Justice Jackson's dissent, then sit with the harder question: what happens to the profession when the state can no longer set a guardrail on harmful practice before harm has occurred. Released during Pride Month, this is a candid, values-forward conversation about protecting LGBTQ+ clients and practicing affirming, anti-conversion-therapy care out loud. In this episode, we discuss: - What the Chiles v. Salazar ruling does, and does not, change about conversion therapy bans - Why the Court treated talk therapy as protected speech instead of medical treatment - How the strict scrutiny test decided the case - Where the concurrence and the dissent point the profession next - Concrete ways to signal affirming, anti-conversion-therapy care in your practice Full show notes and resources: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Good Enough, Safe Enough: Affirming LGBTQ+ Clients When You're Not a Specialist 15.06.2026 40min

  Good Enough, Safe Enough: Affirming LGBTQ+ Clients When You're Not a Specialist Affirming LGBTQ+ clients when you are not a specialist: Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT on being a good enough, safe enough therapist when you cannot refer out. Curt and Katie take on a question therapists often avoid: what do you do when an LGBTQ+ client needs care, you are not a specialist, and referring out is not possible, not safe, or not honest? In this Pride Month episode, they make the case that you can be a good enough, safe enough therapist for LGBTQ+ clients even when affirming care is not your declared specialty. Mental health deserts, narrow insurance panels, long specialist wait lists, and unsafe home environments mean referral is not always available, and sometimes referring out is closer to abandonment than care. Curt and Katie argue that scope of competence is too often used as polite cover for therapist discomfort, and that most clinical work with LGBTQ+ clients is the same work you already do well. Affirming care is the container, not a separate specialty. They also get practical about being a safe enough stopgap therapist: building a just in time consultation kit, doing the cultural humility work, and reckoning with the invisible labor and consultation tax of allyship, including why you should never bill a client to research their own identity. And they name the specific moments when referring an LGBTQ+ client out is still the right and ethical call. This is a useful conversation for generalist therapists, rural and solo clinicians, insurance-based practices, and anyone doing the ongoing work of affirming, culturally humble care. In this episode, we discuss: - Why "refer out" can be avoidance dressed as ethics, and when it is genuinely the right call - How to tell a true scope of competence limit from your own discomfort - What it means to be a good enough, safe enough therapist for LGBTQ+ clients - How to build a just in time kit so an LGBTQ+ client never lands on you cold - Why the invisible labor and consultation tax of allyship is yours to carry, not your client's to fund - The specific signs that mean you should refer out anyway Timestamps: 00:15 - Why a Pride Month episode on being good enough, not a specialist 02:56 - "Just refer out": sound advice or avoidance? 05:05 - Scope of competence versus therapist discomfort 13:08 - The good enough therapist, and when referral becomes abandonment 16:55 - Meeting clients where they are until specialist care opens up 19:03 - Building a just in time kit for your practice 24:44 - The invisible labor and consultation tax of allyship 32:10 - When you should refer out anyway Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Allyship Is Awkward: How Therapists Can Keep Showing Up Anyway 08.06.2026 45min

  Allyship Is Awkward: How Therapists Can Keep Showing Up Anyway What if the awkwardness of ally work is not a sign you are doing it wrong, but the actual work? Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT explore what it looks like to do ally work as a therapist when you hold majority identities the people around you do not share. They move across three zones where this shows up: with clients in the therapy room, with colleagues and consultants in professional spaces, and in broader community and advocacy work. Drawing on their own missteps and on the work of creators like Ashani Mfuko of Anti-Racism School Is In Session and Dr. Raquel Martin of Mind Ya Mental, Curt and Katie make a direct case to white, cis, straight, and other majority-identity therapists: cultural humility is not a credential, fragility shifts the labor onto the people around you, and the strong feelings that come with ally work belong with other allies, not with clients or colleagues of color. This is an episode about staying in the room, decentering yourself, and learning to fail better. In this episode, we discuss: Why ally work is inherently awkward, and why that is not a problem to be solved How fragility, over-apologizing, and gold-star seeking shift the emotional labor onto clients and colleagues of color What repair actually looks like when a cross-cultural rupture happens in session Why being called out by a client can be a sign the relationship is alive enough to repair How to process defensiveness and hurt with other allies instead of with clients or colleagues of color Why cultural humility is not a free pass, and what therapists owe their own continuing education How consultation with diverse colleagues protects clients from being conscripted as your teacher Ally work is ongoing. The goal is not to stop making mistakes. The goal is to keep failing better. Full show notes and resources: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  The Seven Stages of Queer Love: Therapy with Queer Couples, Queer Sex, and the Developmental Model - An Interview with Tom Bruett, LMFT 01.06.2026 41min

  The Seven Stages of Queer Love: Therapy with Queer Couples, Queer Sex, and the Developmental Model - An Interview with Tom Bruett, LMFT Tom Bruett, LMFT on the seven stages of queer relationship development, the Developmental Model, queer couples therapy, and queer sex. Curt and Katie talk with Tom Bruett, LMFT, founder of the Queer Relationship Institute, about what therapists most often get wrong when working with queer couples, why queer sex is still treated as an asterisk in most sex therapy training, and how the Developmental Model of Relationship Therapy can be expanded to better reflect queer experience. Trained under Drs. Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson, Tom adds two stages to the five-stage Developmental Model: Second Queer Adolescence and Agreement. The expanded seven-stage model gives therapists a clearer way to track differentiation, autonomy, and connection in queer relationships that do not fit the standard "relationship escalator." Tom is the author of The Go-To Relationship Guide for Gay Men: From Honeymoon to Lasting Commitment (Jessica Kingsley Publishers). This is a useful conversation for therapists working with queer couples, sex therapists, couples therapists trained in heteronormative models, and queer therapists looking for better tools and community for this work. In this episode, we discuss: - What therapists most often get wrong with queer couples and queer sex - The Seven Stages of Queer Relationship Development, including Tom's two additions - Why a "second queer adolescence" matters clinically - Mutual interdependence versus codependence in gay male relationships - Minority stress, the relationship escalator, and queer identity formation - How the current political moment is showing up in queer couples therapy - Trauma activation, nervous-system regulation, and slowing the work down - Support for queer therapists working through a difficult cultural moment Timestamps: 02:28 - What therapists get wrong with queer couples and queer sex 04:43 - Sex therapy training and the asterisk problem 08:20 - The Seven Stages of Queer Relationship Development 13:00 - Mutual interdependence versus codependence 17:39 - The relationship escalator and minority stress 21:14 - The current political moment in queer couples therapy 25:18 - Trauma, regulation, and slowing down the work 27:08 - Writing The Go-To Relationship Guide for Gay Men 33:21 - Doing the work on the back end, not asking clients to educate you 34:13 - Where to find Tom and the Queer Relationship Institute Guest Bio: Tom Bruett, LMFT is a therapist, trainer, consultant, and author who works extensively with the queer community. He is the founder of the Queer Relationship Institute, which provides therapy for queer folx and training for therapists who work with queer relationships. Tom has trained under Drs. Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson in the Developmental Model of Relationship Therapy, which he now trains other therapists in. His book The Go-To Relationship Guide for Gay Men: From Honeymoon to Lasting Commitment is published by JKP. Tom has spoken at national conferences including AASECT. Learn more at www.QueerRelationshipInstitute.com. Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Modern Therapist's Consumer Guide: Paubox. HIPAA Compliant Email, Secure Communication, and Practice Privacy. An Interview with Hoala Greevy, Founder and CEO of Paubox 28.05.2026 42min

  Modern Therapist's Consumer Guide: Paubox. HIPAA Compliant Email, Secure Communication, and Practice Privacy. An Interview with Hoala Greevy, Founder and CEO of Paubox Curt and Katie talk with Hoala Greevy, Founder and CEO of Paubox, about what HIPAA compliant email actually requires, where standard Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Business Associate Agreements leave gaps, and why most secure-portal solutions fail at the inbox. Paubox is a HIPAA compliant email security platform built to deliver encrypted messages straight to the recipient's inbox, without portals, plugins, or extra clicks. Hoala explains how Paubox wraps around the email systems therapists already use, why domain ownership and TLS encryption matter, and how inbound threats like display-name spoofing affect small practices. The conversation also covers HITRUST certification, AI scraping, the Paubox Foundations, the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship supporting Native Hawaiian students in STEM, and how to evaluate a HIPAA compliant email vendor on security, reliability, and ease of use. This episode is part of our Modern Therapist's Consumer Guide series. While this interview is a paid partnership, our discussion and opinions are our own. In this episode, we discuss: - Where standard Google and Microsoft BAAs leave HIPAA compliant email gaps - Why most secure-portal solutions never get read on mobile - How TLS encryption and secure email delivery actually work - What domain ownership has to do with HIPAA compliance - How Paubox integrates with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 - Inbound threats, display-name spoofing, and ExecProtect - HITRUST certification and how to evaluate a HIPAA compliant email vendor Timestamps: - 02:18 – What Paubox does and why it was created - 05:19 – Mission, vision, and the Paubox Foundations - 08:38 – What HIPAA compliant email actually requires - 10:26 – The Google and Microsoft BAA gray area - 14:48 – What the client experience looks like - 21:09 – Inbound email security and display-name spoofing - 24:32 – Data access, HITRUST certification, and trust - 34:05 – Pricing, value, and the referral program - 38:43 – Curt and Katie Chat: Our Review of Paubox Guest Bio: Hoala Greevy is the Founder and CEO of Paubox, a leading provider of HIPAA compliant email solutions for healthcare organizations. Born and raised in Honolulu, he founded Paubox after a meeting with the CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Hawai'i revealed a critical need for secure healthcare communication. Greevy supports Native Hawaiian students entering STEM and technology careers through the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship. Learn more at paubox.com. Special Offer for Modern Therapist Listeners: Get $250 off an annual Paubox plan. Visit paubox.com and use promo code MODERN. Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Before You Refer to the Hospital: De-Escalation, Safety Planning, and Wraparound Care for Teens in Crisis 25.05.2026 1h 13min

  Before You Refer to the Hospital: De-Escalation, Safety Planning, and Wraparound Care for Teens in Crisis When a suicidal teen is in crisis, is the hospital really the safest call? What outpatient therapists need to know. Curt Widhalm, LMFT, leads this episode from his work running a comprehensive DBT private practice in Los Angeles that specializes in higher-acuity adolescent cases, including teens with serious suicidality, self-harm, and emotional dysregulation. These are exactly the clients most often routed toward psychiatric hospitalization or platform-based care, and Curt argues the default-to-hospital reflex frequently makes things worse, not better. Drawing on recent research and his clinical experience, Curt walks through the iatrogenic harms of adolescent psychiatric inpatient care, why post-discharge is the highest-risk window for completed suicide, and how clinician anxiety can drive premature 5150 holds and crisis referrals. Katie Vernoy, LMFT, joins with years of LPS-designated assessment experience from community mental health, naming what really happens when a teen gets sent in, including the relational rupture that often starts the moment a crisis evaluation is requested. Together they show outpatient therapists, including solo practitioners, how to build the clinical infrastructure that makes hospital diversion a real option: standardized risk assessment, collaborative safety planning that starts at intake, verbal de-escalation, family-integrated care, and wraparound treatment teams that include both formal providers and informal natural supports. This is a continuing education podcourse. Therapists can earn 1 CE credit through the Modern Therapist Learning Community at moderntherapistcommunity.com. What you'll take away: - How to recognize when a teen client really needs inpatient care, and when escalation will cause more harm than help - How to use standardized risk assessment tools (C-SSRS, LRAMP) without losing the therapeutic relationship - How to build a safety plan that actually works, and what to leave out (hint: no-suicide contracts) - What to teach parents about verbal de-escalation and environmental modifications at home - How to construct a mini Intensive Outpatient Program inside a solo or small-group practice - Who belongs on a wraparound treatment team, and how to find informal supports that families often forget to mention - How systemic barriers and health disparities shape access and outcomes for Black, Hispanic, and lower-SES adolescents Timestamps: 00:15 - CE intro and how to earn 1 CE credit 05:17 - Why outpatient therapists need real de-escalation protocols 11:23 - What actually happens during a crisis evaluation, with Katie's LPS-designated insights 18:46 - Iatrogenic harm and post-discharge suicide risk in adolescents 26:27 - Distant admissions, capped beds, and reentry into school and community 30:43 - Building safety plans from the first session, not the first crisis 34:32 - What belongs in a comprehensive adolescent safety plan 41:05 - When a teen says "I want to die," and why language matters 47:27 - Family-integrated care in solo private practice 48:56 - Building a mini IOP without the institutional overhead 55:29 - Wraparound teams and the role of informal natural supports 59:51 - ROIs, HIPAA-compliant communication, and minor consent 1:01:00 - Health disparities and access for marginalized adolescents Earn 1 CE credit: Therapists can earn 1 CE credit for this episode through the Modern Therapist Learning Community. Register, purchase the course, pass the post-test, and complete the evaluation to receive your certificate. Therapy Reimagined is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT CEPA #132270). Please check with your licensing board to confirm eligibility. Full show notes, references, and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com CE enrollment: moderntherapistcommunity.com Join the Modern Therapist Community: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Inside the Troubled Teen Industry: Wilderness Therapy, Residential Treatment, and the Harm Done to Kids – An Interview with Chelsea Maldonado and Dr. Will Dobud 18.05.2026 49min

  Inside the Troubled Teen Industry: Wilderness Therapy, Residential Treatment, and the Harm Done to Kids – An Interview with Chelsea Maldonado and Dr. Will Dobud Dr. Will Dobud and survivor advocate Chelsea Maldonado on wilderness therapy, residential treatment, institutional abuse, and what therapists need to know to support troubled teen industry survivors.  Curt and Katie talk with Dr. Will Dobud and Chelsea Maldonado about what actually happens inside the troubled teen industry, why the marketing rarely matches the reality, and how wilderness therapy programs and residential treatment facilities continue to operate despite decades of survivor testimony, documented abuse, and youth deaths.  The conversation covers why so many adopted youth and foster youth end up in these facilities, how restraints, isolation, and medical neglect produce lasting trauma, and why power dynamics and institutional structure undermine real therapeutic work. Will and Chelsea also discuss the silence of professional associations after youth deaths, the recent Atlantis Leadership Academy case in Jamaica, and what therapists working with troubled teen industry survivors can do to create safer therapeutic relationships.  In this episode, we discuss:  What therapists get wrong about wilderness therapy and residential treatment Why "round the clock therapy" marketing rarely matches the reality inside facilities How restraints, isolation, and medical neglect cause lasting harm Why adopted youth and foster youth are disproportionately placed in these programs The role of power dynamics and institutional structure in the troubled teen industry Why survivors are highly traumatized and highly therapy resistant How therapists can work more safely and effectively with survivors The silence of professional associations after youth deaths in licensed, accredited facilities  Timestamps:  07:34 – What actually happens inside troubled teen industry facilities 13:04 – Katie reflects on her own residential treatment experience 16:28 – Common harms: restraints, medical neglect, sexual abuse 19:38 – Power, conversion-style programming, and adopted youth 24:31 – Why these facilities still exist 28:07 – Attachment, restraints, and institutional contradictions 33:00 – What actually helps youth in crisis 38:14 – The Atlantis Leadership Academy case and survivor-led advocacy  Guests: Dr. Will Dobud, Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Charles Sturt University and former wilderness therapy field guide whose research focuses on improving outcomes for teenagers and exposing harm in the troubled teen industry (willdobud.com). Chelsea Maldonado, troubled teen industry survivor, lead researcher for the Trapped in Treatment podcast, and consultant to Paris Hilton's nonprofit 11:11 Media Impact (1111mediaimpact.com).  Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com  Join the Modern Therapist Community  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined  Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits  Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Why Therapists Stop Working with Kids and What It Takes to Stay: Sustainability, Boundaries, and Pivots for the Long Haul 11.05.2026 42min

  Why Therapists Stop Working with Kids and What It Takes to Stay: Sustainability, Boundaries, and Pivots for the Long Haul Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT push back on the field's quiet stereotype that working with kids is the "starter home" of private practice, the place clinicians put in time before graduating to a cardigan and a wing-back chair. Working with kids and teens is not entry-level work. It is some of the most clinically and physically demanding work in the profession, and it has a sustainability problem that rarely gets named honestly. Curt and Katie examine why so many therapists who work with kids and teens hit a wall around the five-year mark, and why that wall is rarely about clinical depth. They unpack the sensory toll, the parent communication load, the school and provider coordination, the cost of running a play therapy room, and the way a child caseload can quietly distort a clinician's sense of what is developmentally typical. They also talk about how to build a long-haul career working with kids, teens, and families without becoming, in Curt's words, "a cynical, glitter-covered shell of a human being." This is a conversation for therapists in private practice, supervisors of clinicians who work with minors, and anyone weighing whether to keep working with kids, scale back, or pivot. In this episode, we discuss: Why working with kids is not a lesser clinical specialty Why the work is hard to sustain, and why "burnout" alone does not fully explain it How shifting from kid sessions to family work and parent work extends the clinical impact The sensory, physical, and administrative load of working with kids Why parents contact child therapists more than adult clients contact their own therapists The financial and logistical reality of running a play therapy room How a clinical caseload can distort a therapist's sense of typical development When a pivot to adult, family, or parent work is healthy, and when it is avoidance Timestamps: 00:15 — The "starter home" stereotype, and the five-year wall 06:03 — The 167-hour problem and why kid work is family work 10:08 — The sensory and physical toll 12:58 — Caseload diversification and structuring the day 19:41 — The unpaid hours: parents, schools, and the village 23:43 — The play therapy industrial complex 27:59 — Keeping up with kids' culture without losing yourself 30:19 — How a clinical caseload distorts the sense of typical development 33:09 — Expectations, moral injury, and what "fix my kid" really costs 35:01 — When a pivot is survival, and when it is avoidance Full show notes and resources: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann — https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano — https://groomsymusic.com/
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  When Good Moms Feel Bad: Supporting Mothers in Therapy with IFS and the Mom Parts Method – An Interview with Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT 07.05.2026 44min

  When Good Moms Feel Bad: Supporting Mothers in Therapy with IFS and the Mom Parts Method – An Interview with Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT, creator of the Mom Parts Method, on IFS, maternal mental health, mom shame, and why "bad mom" parts are protectors, not problems. Curt and Katie talk with Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT about what therapists often miss when working with mothers, and how Internal Family Systems (IFS) can be adapted for the real conditions of motherhood. Jessica is the creator of the Mom Parts Method and author of When Good Moms Feel Bad: An Empowering Guide for Transforming Guilt, Anxiety and Anger into Compassion, Confidence and Connectedness (Balance, 2026). Drawing on more than fifteen years of clinical work in maternal mental health, Jessica translates IFS into accessible, motherhood-native language. The Mom Parts Method gives mothers simple tools to identify their parts, access their Inner Mom, and approach guilt, grief, rage, and overwhelm with curiosity instead of correction. This is a useful conversation for therapists working with mothers, perinatal mental health clinicians, and anyone interested in more affirming, non-pathologizing approaches to maternal mental health. In this episode, we discuss: What therapists often get wrong when working with mothers How the Mom Parts Method translates IFS into motherhood-native language The role of patriarchy, under-resourcing, and matrescence in maternal distress Why "bad mom" parts (rage, panic, perfectionism, the inner critic) are protectors The five-step Mom Parts Method, from triggering event to remedy How therapists' own parts show up in this work Why healing in maternal mental health is wholeness, not elimination Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Timestamps: 03:30 - What therapists get wrong with mothers 04:47 - Shame and the "bad mom" taboo 10:45 - Patriarchy, matrescence, and the systemic context 17:42 - The five-step Mom Parts Method 29:56 - Healing is wholeness, not elimination 33:48 - When to bring parts work into session 35:27 - When Good Moms Feel Bad and Mothercentered training Guest Bio: Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT is a Level 3 Certified IFS Therapist, IFSI Approved Clinical Consultant, and a Certified Perinatal Mental Health therapist (PMH-C) with advanced training in IFIO. She is the creator of the Mom Parts Method and author of When Good Moms Feel Bad (Balance, 2026). She trains clinicians through her Mothercentered certification program. Learn more at www.momparts.com. Join the Modern Therapist Community Podcast: mtsgpodcast.com Patreon: patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  Why Fixing Teens Doesn’t Work and What Actually Helps Youth Mental Health: An Interview with Dr. Will Dobud 04.05.2026 47min

  Why Fixing Teens Doesn’t Work and What Actually Helps Youth Mental Health: An Interview with Dr. Will Dobud Curt and Katie talk with Dr. Will Dobud about what therapists often get wrong when working with teens, why adolescent behavior is so often overpathologized, and how connection, play, risk, and mastery can better support youth mental health. They also explore the so-called youth mental health crisis, the impact of overmanagement and disconnection, and what therapists can do to better engage young people in meaningful, developmentally appropriate ways. About Our GuestDr. Will Dobud is a social worker, researcher, and educator who has worked with adolescents and families in the United States, Australia, and Norway. He is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Charles Sturt University and an award-winning researcher focused on improving therapy outcomes for teenagers and promoting safe, ethical practices. His work has also examined America’s Troubled Teen Industry, especially wilderness therapy. Key Takeaways Teens are often overpathologized when they may be showing developmentally normal behavior. Youth therapy should focus on engagement, interaction, play, and doing things together, not just sitting and talking. Social disconnection, fewer third spaces, and less unstructured play may be contributing to youth distress. Young people will seek connection wherever they can find it, including online and through AI relationships. Therapists can help teens build resilience by supporting autonomy, mastery, and meaningful participation. Find the full show notes and transcript at mtsgpodcast.com. Join the Modern Therapist Community: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Podcast Homepage: https://mtsgpodcast.com Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
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  The Burden of Potential: Therapy for Gifted Adults Navigating Burnout, Identity, and 2e Considerations 27.04.2026 1h 15min

  The Burden of Potential: Therapy for Gifted Adults Navigating Burnout, Identity, and 2e Considerations Gifted adults do not usually come to therapy naming giftedness as the issue. More often, they present with burnout, anxiety, depression, underperformance, identity confusion, relationship strain, or existential distress. In this continuing education episode, Katie Vernoy and Curt Widhalm explore how gifted adults show up in therapy, how to distinguish giftedness from high achievement, and how 2e considerations can complicate assessment and treatment. Curt and Katie discuss the hidden cost of success, including masking, perfectionism, chronic overfunctioning, executive functioning workarounds, code-switching, and the pressure of living up to potential. They also look at what helps in therapy: deeper assessment, intellectual attunement, self-compassion, sustainability, accommodations, and values-aligned treatment. In this podcast episode, we discuss: common presenting concerns for gifted adults in therapy the difference between giftedness, achievement, and eminence burnout, perfectionism, and chronic overfunctioning masking, self-editing, and existential loneliness 2e considerations and hidden neurodivergence treatment strategies that go beyond basic coping skills This episode is eligible for 1 CE credit through the Modern Therapist Learning Community. To receive CE credit, listen to the episode, register for your free profile at moderntherapistcommunity.com, purchase the course, pass the post-test, and complete the evaluation. Full show notes, transcript, and episode resources will be available at mtsgpodcast.com. Join the Modern Therapist Community: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Podcast Homepage: https://www.mtsgpodcast.com Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/