Edge of the Couch

Note: This episode was recorded live during our tour stop in Edmonton. As such, we sound like we're on speakerphone. Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

In this episode, we respond to an anonymous post in a therapist facebook group where the therapist neglected to write a note for a client for a YEAR. We talk about the potential implications, and why it's important to stay on top of your notes. **Remember that we are located in British Columbia, Canada, and expectations around note-taking is likely different where you work. Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Note: This episode was recorded live during our tour stop in Kelowna. As such, we sound like we're on speakerphone. Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Note: This episode was recorded live during our tour stop in North Vancouver. As such, we sound like we're on speakerphone. Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

For our Season 11 premiere, we discuss dissociation--the range of severity, how it shows up in session, and how we typically respond in our own practices. This is a big topic; it feels like we only scratched the surface. But if your education was anything like ours, dissociation was barely addressed, if at all. We hope this conversation can get you thinking about how you can better respond to it in your work. Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

We're currently on tour, but we are so excited to share this conversation with you! In this episode, we discuss all the interesting layers of this instagram reel by Jen Sims from The Redwood Center for Children & Families . As a trauma therapist herself, she decided to terminate therapy with her own therapist after the first session ran significantly over time. This sparked a huge conversation among therapists about what it means to end on time (or extend beyond the scheduled time.) People seem to feel strongly one way or another. We want to know: what do you think? Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Emotion is the heart of our work as therapists. They can be slippery and elusive, hard to access, scary to tap into and feel fully. There are countless frameworks for understanding emotion, and in this episode we talk about how we personally conceptualize these phenomena. Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Even though we discussed being a therapist on social media fairly recently, we thought it was important to talk about it again because a therapist with a huge following (therapyjeff) posted things that were objectively harmful, intentionally or not, in recent weeks. It ignited a larger conversation across platforms about best practices for therapists on social media, because it's a good reminder: we can do actual harm, and it's important we take this risk seriously. But how? In this episode, we talk about our own evolving relationships with social media and how we thoughtfully show up to, hopefully, be a net good for the people who listen to our podcast, watch our videos, and read our writing. We'd love to know how you show up on social media as a therapist (or why you specifically avoid it.) Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

You guessed it-- we saw something online this week that got us thinking. This time, it was a reel where a therapist claimed that clients cannot hurt her feelings. But... of course they can...? We're human, after all. But knowing when to process our emotional response directly with clients and when to let it lie and process it elsewhere is worth deeper reflection. Has a client ever hurt your feelings? What did you do about it? Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

This episode is all about confrontation, challenging, 'calling in'. We talk about how gentle confrontation is an essential part of our work as therapists. We believe it is ultimately a disservice to clients to avoid challenging their thoughts, beliefs, or patterns. The tricky question is when and how to confront people in therapy. It's so scary when you're new! What is the hardest part for you when it comes to (gently!) challenging clients? Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

In this episode, we talk about how this phenomenon shows up in the therapy room. Some clients feel their asking for help is burdensome to their friends, so they keep to themselves, even when they want to develop deeper relationships. Some people are discarding friendships for seemingly innocuous mistakes. This idea that we 'don't owe anyone anything' is costing us connection. As therapists, we can support these folks to approach their relationships in alignment with the kind of relationships they want to cultivate, rather than from a place of blame. So what do you think? Have some people taken the recent social messaging about boundary-setting too far? Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

This week, we wanted to give you a peek into what our content on Patreon looks like. Breaking with our usual format, we are a little looser, a little more personal, a little more controversial. So, if you want to join us over there, go to patreon.com/edgeofthecouch . We have over 120 bonus episodes of speaking off-the-cuff, with no notes, no ads, no edits. We also want to give our deep thanks to our patrons. Without your support, we would not be going on tour, period. Times are tough, so for you to use some of your hard-earned money to help sustain our work means so, so much. Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

In this episode, we talk about how therapists can be humourless, anti-love, bubble-bursters. Not really... but maybe a little bit? We believe being the wet blanket is actually an important part of our jobs as therapists. We see when humour is being used as a defence mechanism. We spot love-bombing and other red flags. Exactly how we bring those observations to the client, that's more delicate work. How do we help clients see the full landscape of a situation rather than one angle of it? And when might we be overusing our power to make clients see 'reality'? Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

You probably heard this in grad school: "Never, ever touch your clients." But you know, for us, things are rarely black-and white. What about high fives? What about comforting touch? Hugs at termination? The conversation about using physical touch in therapy usually centres around liability and the 'slippery slope' to abusing our clients. While those are essential considerations to this topic, we are taking a different focus: the impact on the client and the therapeutic relationship. Our perspective might surprise you... Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Are you comfortable talking about death with your clients? Not just around their grief and losses, but also about their own future deaths. Some clients will be open about their anxieties, while others unconsciously express their feelings through things seemingly entirely different-- like making big life decisions about romantic partners and whether or not to have children. We also discuss MAID, suic*de, and the prospect of death adding to the meaningfulness of life. Listen to learn about our own relationships with death. It might surprise you... Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Inspired by the new research article critiquing and perhaps 'debunking' polyvagal theory, we are sitting with the tension between adjusting to emerging neuroscience findings while also offering clients frameworks that genuinely help them make sense of their experiences and feelings. We talk about brain scans and bold claims that researchers sometimes make, what sounds science-y versus what actually shows up in people's psychology and physiology in session. We must translate these complex concepts to clients responsibly. At what point are we oversimplifying? Or just plain wrong? Although neither of us references the vagus nerve specifically in our therapy work, we are a little thrown. Along with the claims the author Lisa Feldman Barrett makes in her recent book, How Emotions Are Made , we wonder what other concepts we hold dear might be next on the neuroscientific chopping block. So, when you find yourself in the place where story meets science, what do you fall back on? Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Hear us out... we know that so many of our clients are in therapy specifically to work through chronic shame, and we work alongside them to pull back the layers and find self-compassion. To learn more about that process, you can listen to our episode on Working with Shame. We came of age professionally, so to speak, when Brené Brown's perspectives on shame and guilt were at the forefront of the cultural zeitgeist. According to Brené, shame is 'I'm bad', while guilt is 'I did something bad.' This is something we generally agree with. But in this episode, we're asking the question about whether shame might actually have a place, that maybe we shouldn't banish it. We discuss the connection between accountability and shame, and how that plays out in the therapy, but also in community and collectively. So, what do you think: should we bring back shame? Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Therapists should not be out here guaranteeing results! That is a big red flag. But false assurances aren't just for those "bad therapists" over there; we, too, can fall into the trap of making promises we can't keep. Have you ever told a client you'll never abandon them? That therapy will save their marriage or "cure" them of anxiety or depression? Listen to learn why it can be harmful to make such strong claims, and what we could be doing instead to create realistic expectations and support the long-term work of alleviating suffering and living a meaningful life. Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Clients bring in photos, videos, and artwork—and we love it. It helps us see their world more clearly. But what happens when the sheer volume becomes overwhelming, boundaries get blurry, or we take away something they didn't intend to share? Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

It's time for a refresher about why it's harmful when therapists put on a front of "neutrality". Especially during this time in history, people need therapists to be a place to land, to meet a real person, to talk about their completely understandable fears and have those validated and held. Heads up: this conversation is a little messy and unfinished. We're curious about what you think. Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch , share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at connect@edgeofthecouch.com. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth . Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram