Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen
  • 5.0 (6)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Self-care shouldn’t be another task on your to-do list!  This is the show that helps you as a busy and dedicated female mental health therapist to redefine your approach to self-care.  Because we need so much more than bubble baths and breathing exercises! Hosted by Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen, clinical psychologists, founders of Intentional Therapist, and self-care advocates, our mission is to help you build a life where you thrive right alongside your clients, without guilt and without burning out.  Join us as we explore practical strategies grounded in our 4 C’s model – Connection, Compassion, Courage, and Creativity – to help you create more space for yourself while continuing to support your clients.  Whether you work in a solo private practice, within a large organization, are a new grad, or are nearing retirement, this show has something for you.  Tune in for short but valuable episodes filled with relatable and insightful new perspectives, actionable ‘self-care experiments’, and the encouragement and permission you need to put more of you back in your schedule and create a life from which you don’t need to escape. To learn more about Intentional Therapist and our 4 C’s model of self-care, visit us at: www.intentionaltherapist.ca  [Please note:  This podcast was previously called Thrivival 101, and you can continue to find our original interview episodes in this podcast feed.]

  1. 3D AGO

    E30: The Power of Discernment, Part 2 - Boundary misalignment and the art of balancing yes with no

    If you’re anything like us you probably remember times in graduate school where you told yourself something like “This won’t last forever, once I graduate I’ll have more time for myself.” And, at the time, it made sense, you truly believed it, and it worked, because, these kinds of thoughts helped us say “no” to things that would take us away from our studies and say “yes” to things that ensured our academic success. And because it worked so well we continue to use this as a way of motivating self-sacrifice during other points in our professional journey, by simply substituting the phrase “once I graduate” for things like “once I’m licensed”, “once I get the hang of this new job”, and “once things slow down at work.” But of course, the problem is, there will always be something else we can put into that slot. And, before we know it, we may find ourselves resenting our jobs when, in fact, what we really resent is the fact that we can’t seem to stop saying “yes”. In today’s episode we are talking about boundary misalignment and how discernment can help us start saying “no” to the things that take us away from self-care, and start saying “yes” to things that support our self-care and, by extension, our ability to continue doing great work with our clients. Episode Highlights: Discernment category #2:  Boundary misalignment Common risks and outcomes of misaligned boundariesOur personal misaligned boundaries examplesSelf-care experiments:Commit to ending one meeting exactly on timeDelay responding to non-urgent messagesPractice saying 'Let me think about that and get back to you'Publicly protect one recovery windowResource Mentioned: Dr. Marie-Helene Pelletier's book, The Resilience Plan, and our past podcast interview with herConnect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/  |  intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca  |   https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/ Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at:  https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist Ready to upgrade your self-care?  Check out the independent study version of our course, Thrivival Skills for Therapists, and earn 3 CE credits!  Because self-care is PART OF our jobs!  More info at:  https://intentional-therapist.newzenler.com/courses/thrivival-skills-for-therapists-independent-study   Disclaimer:  This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice.  Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

    28 min

  2. MAR 23

    E29: The Power of Discernment, Part 1 - Belief misalignment and the stories we tell ourselves about our work and self-care

    Pop quiz:  How many of these beliefs resonate for you? If I’m not exhausted, I must not be working hard enough.My schedule reflects my value.My clients’ outcomes are my responsibility.Nice therapists don’t rock the boat.If I charge more, I’m exploiting people.If I don’t know the answer, I’m failing.If you said all of them, congratulations, you are a typical hardworking and dedicated female therapist!  And you suffer one of the most common ailments in our profession – belief misalignment.  Thankfully, in today’s episode, we are kicking off our new discernment mini-series by sharing some ways to combat this ailment, so that the stories we tell ourselves about our work and our self-care can be better aligned with the truth.  Episode Highlights: Discernment category #1:  Belief misalignment Common risks and outcomes of misaligned beliefsOur personal misaligned beliefs examplesSelf-care experiments:Consciously evaluate one beliefAsk a trusted colleague for a reality checkReplace 'It's all on me' with 'What is actually mine?'Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/  |  intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca  |   https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/ Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at:  https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist Ready to upgrade your self-care?  Check out the independent study version of our course, Thrivival Skills for Therapists, and earn 3 CE credits!  Because self-care is PART OF our jobs!  More info at:  https://intentional-therapist.newzenler.com/courses/thrivival-skills-for-therapists-independent-study   Disclaimer:  This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice.  Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

    24 min

  3. MAR 9

    E28: The Power of Discernment & the Importance of Knowing Where to Target Your Self-Care Efforts

    If you’re like most therapists, there have undoubtedly been times in your career when you’ve found yourself struggling with work and trying to figure out why.  Figuring out the “why” to our struggles can be a great step towards finding ways to reduce our struggles.  Yet, at the same time, it’s not always easy to identify the source and, in fact, we believe it can be easy to get it wrong.  And when we misidentify the source of our struggles we’re at risk of feeling even more deflated and discouraged because our self-care solutions don’t create the change we’re hoping for.        In today’s episode we’re kicking off a new podcast mini-series where we’ll be highlighting the importance of discernment by looking at four discernment categories related to beliefs, boundaries, values, and our work environment, and ways of better targeting our self-care to the specific source of our workplace struggles.  Because when we target the true source of our workplace struggles good things start to happen.   Episode Highlights: Why professional dissatisfaction is rarely a binary 'it's me' vs 'it's the job'The 4 discernment categories:        (1) Belief misalignment         (2) Boundary misalignment         (3) Values (and seasonal capacity) misalignment         (4) Genuinely unhealthy environments Our own discernment experiencesSelf-care experimentConnect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/  |  intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca  |   https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/ Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at:  https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist Ready to upgrade your self-care?  Check out the independent study version of our course, Thrivival Skills for Therapists, and earn 3 CE credits!  Because self-care is PART OF our jobs!  More info at:  https://intentional-therapist.newzenler.com/courses/thrivival-skills-for-therapists-independent-study   Disclaimer:  This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice.  Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

    27 min

  4. FEB 16

    E27: Why and how to do a seasonal self-care check-in

    If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “Why does self-care feel harder right now, even though I’m doing all the right things?”, you’re not alone. For many therapists, the struggle isn’t a lack of discipline or commitment, but a mismatch between what we’re asking of ourselves and the season we’re actually in. Our energy, capacity, and needs aren’t fixed—they shift over time, just like the seasons do. That’s why in today’s episode, we’re inviting you to pause, step out of self-improvement mode, and intentionally check in with what this season is asking of you, so your self-care can feel more aligned, supportive, and sustainable. Episode Highlights: Why seasonal self-care check-ins matterA 5-step seasonal check-in practiceWhat's standing out for each of us in this seasonSelf-care experiments:Assess your self-care needs in this specific seasonShare your self-care assessment with a trusted colleague or loved oneTake some baby stepsConnect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/  |  intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca  |   https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/ Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at:  https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist Ready to upgrade your self-care?  Check out the independent study version of our course, Thrivival Skills for Therapists, and earn 3 CE credits!  Because self-care is PART OF our jobs!  More info at:  https://intentional-therapist.newzenler.com/courses/thrivival-skills-for-therapists-independent-study   Disclaimer:  This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice.  Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

    27 min

  5. FEB 2

    E26: What the movie Groundhog Day can teach us about therapist self-care

    Have you ever had one of those weeks where you think, “Wait, didn’t I already do this yesterday?  And all the days before?”  Same alarm.  Same email inbox.  Same clients with eerily familiar struggles.  Same promises to yourself that next week will be different.  If that resonates, you’re not alone — and you’re definitely not failing. Today, we’re taking inspiration from the movie Groundhog Day to talk about self-care, burnout, and why so many therapists feel stuck in patterns that don’t seem to change — even though they’re working so hard to make things better. Episode Highlights: How the movie Groundhog Day relates to therapist self-careWhy insight alone isn’t enough to make changes - and what helps insteadWhy being human is better than being perfectSelf-care experiments:The Ned Ryerson The Let’s Drink to World Peace The Nice Young Man From the Motor ClubThe GroundhogConnect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/  |  intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca  |   https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/ Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at:  https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist Ready to upgrade your self-care?  Check out the independent study version of our course, Thrivival Skills for Therapists, and earn 3 CE credits!  Because self-care is PART OF our jobs!  More info at:  https://intentional-therapist.newzenler.com/courses/thrivival-skills-for-therapists-independent-study   Disclaimer:  This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice.  Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

    14 min

  6. JAN 19

    E25: Upgrade your self-care belief system wrap-up: The ongoing practice of believing differently

    Have you ever noticed how easy it is to talk about self-care with our clients, and how incredibly hard it can be to actually practice it in our own lives? As therapists, we can quote the research, share the strategies, name the patterns. And yet, when it comes time to recognize our own needs, something in us hesitates and our own needs quietly slip to the bottom. But what if self-care isn’t something extra to squeeze in — what if it’s something to build everything else around? In this episode, we’re wrapping up a very special journey — one that’s been all about rewriting the stories we tell ourselves about self-care. Over the past 8 episodes, we’ve been rethinking the myths, guilt, and cultural expectations that have shaped how we care for ourselves. And today, we’re bringing it all together — to reflect, to re-anchor, and to remind ourselves that tending to our own well-being isn’t indulgent.  It's integral. Episode Highlights: Recap of the 8 belief upgradesWhich belief resonates most for you?We can each help shift the culture of care in our fieldSelf-care experiment:Meet old beliefs with curiosity and compassion when they creep back inConnect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/  |  intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca  |   https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/ Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at:  https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist Ready to upgrade your self-care?  Check out the independent study version of our course, Thrivival Skills for Therapists, and earn 3 CE credits!  Because self-care is PART OF our jobs!  More info at:  https://intentional-therapist.newzenler.com/courses/thrivival-skills-for-therapists-independent-study   Disclaimer:  This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice.  Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

    13 min

  7. JAN 5

    E24: Belief system upgrade #8: Self-care needs community

    What if the strongest form of self-care isn’t what you do by yourself… but who you allow in? As therapists, we spend our days holding space for others. We encourage our clients to lean into support, to reach out, to know they don’t have to carry it all alone. And yet — how often do we allow the same for ourselves? In this final episode of our Upgrade your self-care belief system mini-series, we’re exploring the powerful truth that self-care isn’t meant to be a solo project. Real self-care grows in community — through connection, accountability, and the gentle presence of people who remind us that we matter, too. Episode Highlights: Self-care belief system upgrade #8:  Self-care needs community.Why the old view doesn't serve us: Thinking that we don't need support and that we can 'do this on our own' keeps us disconnected from each other and reinforces shame.The new view: Self-care is relational; it thrives with support.  Seeking and accepting support makes us more resilient.Self-care experiments:Identify one area of your life or work where you've been 'going it alone'Reach out intentionallyReflect on how receiving support feelsConnect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/  |  intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca  |   https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/ Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at:  https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist Ready to upgrade your self-care?  Check out the independent study version of our course, Thrivival Skills for Therapists, and earn 3 CE credits!  Because self-care is PART OF our jobs!  More info at:  https://intentional-therapist.newzenler.com/courses/thrivival-skills-for-therapists-independent-study   Disclaimer:  This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice.  Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

    18 min

  8. 12/15/2025

    E23: Belief system upgrade #7: Self-care needs our intentional attention

    How often do you intentionally sit down to reflect on your self-care?  If you are like most of us, probably not very often!  Even if you are a regular listener of this podcast, and hopefully check in with your self-care more often than not, you are also human!  The reality is that it takes energy and awareness to make our self-care a priority.  And we can do this, but it won’t happen automatically.       That’s why in this episode, we’re talking about what might be the most important belief shift of all: that self-care requires our intentional attention. In other words: self-care doesn’t just happen by accident. It happens because we choose to bring it into focus, and trust that we will be better off for it.  So stick around as we share how to bring more intention to your self-care too. Episode Highlights: Self-care belief system upgrade #7:  Self-care needs our intentional attention.Why the old view doesn't serve us:  Self-care rarely magically fits itself into our lives, yet we rely on hope that it will.  Which leaves us constantly depleted, because hope without intention results in inaction. The new view:  Self-care with intention sends a clear message that we matter.Self-care experiments:Anchor check-inCalendar commitmentEnd-of-week reflectionConnect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/  |  intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca  |   https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/ Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at:  https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist Ready to upgrade your self-care?  Check out the independent study version of our course, Thrivival Skills for Therapists, and earn 3 CE credits!  Because self-care is PART OF our jobs!  More info at:  https://intentional-therapist.newzenler.com/courses/thrivival-skills-for-therapists-independent-study   Disclaimer:  This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice.  Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

    17 min
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Self-care shouldn’t be another task on your to-do list!  This is the show that helps you as a busy and dedicated female mental health therapist to redefine your approach to self-care.  Because we need so much more than bubble baths and breathing exercises! Hosted by Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen, clinical psychologists, founders of Intentional Therapist, and self-care advocates, our mission is to help you build a life where you thrive right alongside your clients, without guilt and without burning out.  Join us as we explore practical strategies grounded in our 4 C’s model – Connection, Compassion, Courage, and Creativity – to help you create more space for yourself while continuing to support your clients.  Whether you work in a solo private practice, within a large organization, are a new grad, or are nearing retirement, this show has something for you.  Tune in for short but valuable episodes filled with relatable and insightful new perspectives, actionable ‘self-care experiments’, and the encouragement and permission you need to put more of you back in your schedule and create a life from which you don’t need to escape. To learn more about Intentional Therapist and our 4 C’s model of self-care, visit us at: www.intentionaltherapist.ca  [Please note:  This podcast was previously called Thrivival 101, and you can continue to find our original interview episodes in this podcast feed.]

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