Things You Learn in Therapy

Beth Trammell PhD, HSPP
  • 4.5 (24)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A behind-the-scenes look at the best tips and techniques from clinicians around the world. This podcast shares practical techniques for a wide range of mental health topics, from parenting to substance use, mindfulness, anxiety, depression and so much more. If you are looking for great mental health advice from experienced therapists & psychologists, you are in the right place! AND... if you are you are a clinician who is looking to learn new techniques, this podcast is right for you, too!Listen, like, and subscribe!

  1. 4D AGO

    Ep 169: Grief Is Not Just Death with Jillian Oetting

    Send us Fan Mail Grief can feel like a private storm, but it’s also one of the most universal experiences we share and it doesn’t only arrive after a death. I sit down with licensed professional counselor and advanced grief counseling specialist Jillian Oetting to name the kinds of loss that often get ignored: anticipatory grief with dementia or terminal illness, disenfranchised grief after pregnancy loss or infertility, ambiguous loss in estrangement or addiction, and the identity grief that can follow career shifts or postpartum change. We also challenge the idea that grief has a clean finish line. Jillian shares a powerful “rock in your pocket” metaphor: the rock doesn’t shrink, but you grow around it, and grief bursts can still surprise you years later. From there, we dig into grief counseling frameworks that feel realistic, including the dual process model of moving between loss-oriented coping and restoration-oriented coping, plus the tasks of mourning that focus on accepting reality, processing pain, adjusting to a changed world, and finding an enduring connection through meaning making. Then we make it practical for real relationships. We talk about what to say when you’re afraid of saying the wrong thing, why platitudes like “everything happens for a reason” can land as dismissal, and why “let me know what you need” often adds pressure. Jillian offers concrete, caring alternatives: bring food, handle a small household task, keep showing up months later, and keep saying the person’s name so love and memory can keep breathing. If someone you love is grieving or you are carrying your own rock, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What’s one supportive sentence you wish people would say more often? Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

    46 min

  2. MAY 15

    Ep 168: Stop Telling Yourself to Calm Down with Laura Sgro

    Send us Fan Mail Your body reacts before your brain can explain it and that can feel confusing, embarrassing, or downright discouraging. We sit down with licensed therapist Laura Sgro to make the “nervous system” conversation concrete, starting with what people usually mean online: the autonomic nervous system that drives automatic functions like breathing, heart rate, digestion, and your threat response. From anxiety and burnout to shutdown and dissociation, we talk about why these patterns show up and how they can change with awareness and repetition. Laura walks us through polyvagal theory as a simple ladder you can actually use. We unpack ventral vagal regulation, sympathetic fight-or-flight activation, and dorsal vagal collapse, plus how neuroception can misread safety when you’re exhausted, stressed, or carrying trauma history. We also challenge the idea that one state is “good” and the others are “bad” because each has a purpose. The goal is not perfection, it’s flexibility and choice. Then we get practical: how to find your baseline, how to map what each state feels like in your body, and why “just calm down” is sometimes the wrong move. We share downregulation tools like the physiological sigh, upregulation ideas like gentle movement and sensory cues, and how co-regulation works in real relationships without sliding into codependency. You’ll leave with a clearer nervous system vocabulary and a kinder way to measure progress.  Subscribe, share this with someone who’s been feeling stuck, and leave a review with your favorite “glimmer” of safety from your day. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: https://forms.gle/ooy8QirpgL2JSLhP6 Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at Beth@makewordsmatterforgood.com Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

    45 min

  3. MAY 8

    Ep167: When High Achievement Hides Emotional Burnout with Dr. Akua K. Boateng

    Send us Fan Mail Success can be a brilliant strategy and a brutal one. When you’re wired for performance, you can push through pain, outwork exhaustion, and even “do therapy” like it’s another assignment. But what happens when the grind starts costing you sleep, intimacy, health, and the ability to feel anything at all? We sit down with Dr. Akua K. Boateng to unpack the high achiever mindset and the emotional blind spots it can create. We talk about harmony instead of balance, why harmony has no metric, and how surrendering the constant striving can bring you back to a grounded center that’s already there. We also explore how ambition can operate as a defense or even a trauma response, making slowing down feel like a threat rather than relief. From a therapist’s perspective, we get practical: why high performers can excel at CBT homework while still avoiding emotional discovery, how to work collaboratively without getting dazzled by proficiency, and when it helps to name the neuroscience in real time (amygdala activation, chronic limbic override, prefrontal cortex coming back online). We also zoom in on body-based signals like insomnia, high blood pressure, fatigue, forgetfulness, and volatility as early “micro-fractures” worth investigating before everything collapses. If you’re a high performing professional, caregiver, athlete, or leader who’s quietly cracking, this conversation offers language and strategies for emotional wellness without losing your edge. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with the biggest “that’s me” moment you heard. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: https://forms.gle/ooy8QirpgL2JSLhP6 Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at Beth@makewordsmatterforgood.com Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

    43 min

  4. MAY 1

    Ep166: When One More Thing Is Too Much with Jacque Tyrrell

    Send us Fan Mail One small request can feel like a breaking point when you’ve already been carrying too much and you’re not sure where the extra capacity is supposed to come from. We sit with that exact moment, the “I’m quitting everything” feeling, and unpack why it shows up for so many people across work, parenting, relationships, and caregiving. When overwhelm hits, it’s rarely about the final task. It’s about the invisible load behind it. Our guest, therapist and private practice owner Jacque Tyrrell, helps us name the hidden cost of constant adjusting: the emotional energy it takes to pivot, replan, brace for outcomes, and regulate fear over and over again. We also talk about how quickly we label that internal work as “rumination,” and how reframing it can replace shame with compassion. If you’ve ever wondered why a “tiny” detail like a school form can trigger tears, this conversation offers a grounded explanation that actually fits real life. We also keep it honest about privilege and access. Not everyone can outsource tasks or carve out time for ideal self-care, and advice that ignores that can feel like one more demand. We share practical strategies that scale: delegating where you can, communicating what’s realistic, sorting tasks by urgency, loosening perfectionism, and choosing one next step instead of ten. If you’re tired of hustle culture telling you to push harder, this episode offers a better question: what do you have the capacity for right now? If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who’s carrying a lot, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What’s the “one more thing” that feels like too much lately? This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: https://forms.gle/ooy8QirpgL2JSLhP6 Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at Beth@makewordsmatterforgood.com Support the show Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

    43 min

  5. MAR 27

    Ep 163: Therapy Without Silos with Essence and Emily

    Send us Fan Mail Therapy collaboration gets praised constantly, yet most people never hear what it actually costs, what it risks, and what it can unlock for clients when it’s done with care. I sit down with Essence and Emily Deming-Rivers, two married licensed psychologists who collaborate inside the same practice, to talk through the real mechanics of integrated care: trust, confidentiality, informed consent, and the daily choices that keep therapy ethical and human. We dig into why collaboration feels easier in residential treatment settings and why it can get messy in private practice. They name the practical barriers most clinicians feel but rarely say out loud: non-billable coordination time, financial pressure, and the fear that collaboration turns colleagues into competitors. From there we get concrete about how they do it differently, including transparent conversations with clients, asking permission before consulting, and even inviting the other therapist into a session for one targeted concept when it genuinely improves treatment. Because they live and work together, they also share what happens when client crises hit and both partners carry the weight, plus the boundaries that protect their relationship and their clinical judgment. We talk about ethics as guardrails rather than handcuffs, why “playing telephone” can steal growth from clients, and how their combined perspectives support couples and families navigating ADHD differences, chronic illness, LGBTQ identity, and other intersectional realities. We close with where you can find them at Customized Behavioral Health Care and their organizational consulting work at Deming River Social Club focused on psychologically safe workplace culture. If you care about better therapy outcomes, sustainable mental health work, and collaboration that doesn’t compromise consent, hit subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review. What boundary or collaboration practice has helped you most? This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: https://forms.gle/ooy8QirpgL2JSLhP6 Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at Beth@makewordsmatterforgood.com Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

    38 min

  6. MAR 20

    Ep 162: You Can’t Help People for Free If You Want to Keep Helping with Nicole Liloia

    Send us Fan Mail If you’re great at therapy but secretly uneasy about money, marketing, or the sheer logistics of running a practice, this conversation is for you. We sit down with Nicole Liloia, LCSW, to talk about what actually makes a private practice sustainable, not just inspiring on paper. Because “I didn’t get into this for the money” can be true, and it can still lead straight to burnout if your business can’t support your life. We dig into the practical foundations: how to know your numbers, set an income goal that accounts for taxes, business expenses, health insurance, vacation time, and retirement, and calculate what your average session rate really is (especially if you take multiple insurance plans). We also talk about why so many therapists avoid tracking revenue and time, how ADHD and time blindness can amplify overwork, and why outsourcing tasks like billing can be a smart sustainability move rather than a luxury. Then we shift into modern therapist marketing strategy. Algorithms change, directories change, and what worked during the pandemic may not work now. Nicole shares how to pivot without chasing every shiny tactic, why you should never rely on a single referral source, and how one small intake form tweak can reveal exactly where your best clients come from. We also make the case for a clear niche and client-word messaging so the people you’re meant to help can immediately recognize themselves. If you want a therapist business that lasts, listen through, join the conversation, and then subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review so more clinicians can build sustainable private practices without burning out. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: https://forms.gle/ooy8QirpgL2JSLhP6 Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at Beth@makewordsmatterforgood.com Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

    47 min

  7. MAR 13

    EP 161: If You Can Name It, You Can Handle It with Tatiana Rojas

    Send us Fan Mail Most of us were taught to talk about emotions with the same six words, then we wonder why conflict keeps repeating and connection feels hard. I sit down with licensed marriage and family therapist Tatiana Rojas to slow the whole thing down and get practical: what’s the difference between emotions, feelings, and moods, and why does that difference change the way we communicate, parent, and handle stress? We dig into how emotions show up as fast body-based signals, how feelings are the labels and meanings we attach, and how moods can linger like emotional weather. Tatiana shares why vague language can sabotage relationships (like saying “I want to feel loved” but not being able to name belonging, nurture, or being seen), and why mislabeling what’s happening often leads to reactions that feel “out of nowhere” like shutting down, snapping, people pleasing, or numbing out. We also talk parenting and partnerships: how to model emotional vocabulary out loud, how to ask better check-in questions, and why reflective listening can help more than advice. One of my favorite takeaways is simple but powerful: having an emotion doesn’t mean you have to fix it, and it definitely doesn’t have to become your identity. If you want more emotional intelligence, clearer communication, and realistic emotion regulation tools you can use today, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who “is fine,” and leave a review so more people can find the show. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: https://forms.gle/ooy8QirpgL2JSLhP6 Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at Beth@makewordsmatterforgood.com Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

    40 min

  8. MAR 6

    Ep 160: Reigniting Desire and Pleasure in Midlife with Brooke Bralove

    Send us Fan Mail Want your desire back without pretending you’re who you were at 22? We sit down with therapist and sex therapist Brooke Bray Love to unpack how midlife women can rekindle pleasure by changing the script—less waiting to feel “spontaneous,” more creating conditions where desire can actually show up. Brooke brings two decades of clinical experience and a candid voice to topics most people still whisper about, from scheduling sex to why clitoral stimulation isn’t optional for most women. We explore the big shift from spontaneous to responsive desire and why planning “sexy time” is a sign of care, not failure. Brooke breaks down practical tools—lube for hormonal changes, vibrators as legitimate aids, erotica for mental priming—and reframes “owning your orgasm” as the fastest route to confidence and clear communication. If penetration-only sex leaves you cold, you’re not broken; the data says expand your menu. We also talk about how to build a transition ritual that guides your nervous system from stress to sensual, using breathwork, bilateral stimulation, and mindful touch to create safety and arousal. The conversation goes deeper into fantasies, polarity, and parts work: how strong, capable women can crave softness or submission without betraying themselves, and why fantasy is a laboratory for balance, not a contract to act. We offer a simple activity consensus tool to find overlap in desires, so you can try one aligned novelty at a time. And because culture starts at home, we share how to talk to kids about accurate body terms, consent as an ongoing process, masturbation without shame, and ethical context for porn—moving from fear to education. If you’re ready to trade scripts that center someone else’s pleasure for a life that centers your own, this is your roadmap. Listen, pick one small shift, and watch what changes. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review telling us the one myth you’re dropping today. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area. If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: https://forms.gle/ooy8QirpgL2JSLhP6 Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at Beth@makewordsmatterforgood.com Support the show www.bethtrammell.com

    50 min
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4.5
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About

A behind-the-scenes look at the best tips and techniques from clinicians around the world. This podcast shares practical techniques for a wide range of mental health topics, from parenting to substance use, mindfulness, anxiety, depression and so much more. If you are looking for great mental health advice from experienced therapists & psychologists, you are in the right place! AND... if you are you are a clinician who is looking to learn new techniques, this podcast is right for you, too!Listen, like, and subscribe!

Information

  • Creator
    Beth Trammell PhD, HSPP
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    246
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Things You Learn in Therapy
  • Show Website
    Things You Learn in Therapy

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