Therapy Tea: Demystifying the Mental Health Profession

Jazmin Crookes, LPC and Karen Jennett, LPC
  • 1.8 (97)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Why, oh why, did I become a therapist? What was I thinking?!? Am I losing it? Or was I just misinformed?.... Join Therapy Tea hosts, Jazmin and Karen, two licensed professional counselors, every other Wednesday, as they, with the help of other mental health professionals, seek to find the answers to these deep, gut-wrenching, existential questions. Each episode, they interview fellow counselors and other professionals working in the mental health field to discuss mistakes they’ve made, career mis-steps, and those “ah-ha!” and “AHHHHHHH!!!!” moments that shift perspective. They cover the real-life practice of mental health work through a pretentious-free lens and reveal the out-of-the-textbook realities of counseling theories. All the while, they hope desperately to gain some hindsight insights on all the things they wish they had known before becoming counselors.

  1. FEB 18

    44. Listening to People’s Stories and Healing IN Community (ft Beth Cortez-Neavel, LPC, LMFT-Associate)

    Warning: this episode contains discussions of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and trauma. This week Jazmin learned that shifting where she works so that she’s more comfortable makes a huge difference in the way she feels about working and the quality of counseling she provides. It’s like a revelation to Karen to consider that maybe it’s okay to meet virtually with a client from the privacy of one’s own back porch. This week we are sharing our conversation with Beth Cortez-Naevel who is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate in Texas. They hold a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Simmons College, a Master of Arts in Journalism from University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling from Texas State University - San Marcos. Beth is currently working in her private practice in the Austin area called Queer AF Therapy. They focus on working with queer and trans folks, survivors of sexual assault, sexual abuse, family and intimate partner violence. With Beth we talk about their first career in Journalism and how their initial attraction to that work was a love of hearing other people’s stories. Beth shares the way they noticed some ethical ick in the journalism industry and then shifted professions into becoming a counselor. We totally vibe with Beth about the way acronyms do not actually help us remember anything and we all have at least half a dozen training recordings that we signed up for but haven’t gone back to finish listening to. With Beth we talk about the decision making and process to being dual licensed. We talk about what it’s like to try to work and live under oppressive, toxic, and deeply flawed systems; the challenges of being helping professionals in a capitalist system. Beth shares what it’s been like for them to come out as non-binary, how they think about the ethics of self-disclosure, and particularly how they show up as a therapist working within their own community. Resources mentioned: Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical Trauma, and Politicizing Your Practice by Jennifer MullanWhy Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft (somewhat outdated now)SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) exam portral: Grey’s Anatomy (TV show) episode, Season 15, Episode 19, “Silent All These Years”Unladylike Podcast, Episode 33, "How to Get a Rape Kit."His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass)The Cool Therapists CollectiveBeth’s practice website: www.queeraftherapy.com Beth’s Instagram: @queeraftherapy Thank you for listening! By the way, if you're curious about how we produce this show, we use Alitu. It's straightforward to use and has made podcasting actually sustainable for us. Use code tea50 at Alitu.com for 50% off if you want to try it yourself! Thoughts? Questions? Email us at therapyteapod@gmail.com Listen to us on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmM3_WRulJpvstPLZiKOBQ Follow us on social media: Facebook: Therapy Tea Podcast https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552953196482 Instagram: @therapyteapod https://www.instagram.com/therapyteapod/ Disclaimer: This podcast is not therapy and does not establish a professional, therapeutic counseling relationship. All statements made on this podcast by hosts and guests are their individual personal perspectives only and are not necessarily shared by anyone else. The hosts and guests on this podcast are not speaking on behalf of all mental health professionals or the profession as a whole.

    1h 51m

  2. FEB 4

    43. Dishwasher Existentialism and the Relentlessness of Life (ft. Lisa Baker, LCSW)

    This week Karen learned more about the different boundaries to set around texting/emailing/talking with clients between sessions. It’s not cut and dry! We’d love to hear from y’all how you navigate these things in your practice. Also, Jazmin recommends the show Shrinking and shares how it connects to this topic. This week we are sharing our conversation with Lisa Baker who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervisor in Texas, and a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Massachusetts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Social Work from Tulane University School in New Orleans. Lisa is currently in solo private practice in the New Braunfels area. She focuses on working with adults in her practice and is an IFS (Internal Family Systems) Certified Therapist. With Lisa we talk about the trade offs in practicing virtually or in-person with clients, and the journey we all go through in finding the best-practice work boundaries that are unique to you. Lisa shares about the reality of challenges and narrow options for getting approved clinical hours for her transition between being an LMSW and an LCSW. With Lisa we talk about our frustrations about getting taken advantage of in this career due to a frequent lack of options and a lack of basic business knowledge. Lisa talks frankly about the relentlessness and unavoidability of life and grief. Be sure to check out Lisa’s Book, Edges of the Soul! Resources mentioned: The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller"Birthday" by Andrea Gibson: https://youtu.be/ftc46KYnQWE?si=7N8kOgP7b-1Frelw Edges of the Soul by Lisa Baker, LCSW-S Lisa’s practice website: www.lisabakerlcsw.com Lisa’s Instagram: @lisabakerlcsws Thank you for listening! By the way, if you're curious about how we produce this show, we use Alitu. It's straightforward to use and has made podcasting actually sustainable for us. Use code tea50 at Alitu.com for 50% off if you want to try it yourself! Thoughts? Questions? Email us at therapyteapod@gmail.com Listen to us on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmM3_WRulJpvstPLZiKOBQ Follow us on social media: Facebook: Therapy Tea Podcast https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552953196482 Instagram: @therapyteapod https://www.instagram.com/therapyteapod/ Disclaimer: This podcast is not therapy and does not establish a professional, therapeutic counseling relationship. All statements made on this podcast by hosts and guests are their individual personal perspectives only and are not necessarily shared by anyone else. The hosts and guests on this podcast are not speaking on behalf of all mental health professionals or the profession as a whole.

    1h 52m

  3. JAN 21

    42. Listening to the Wisdom of our Bodies and the Power of Walking (ft. Jeana Martin, LPC)

    Warning: this episode contains mentions of suicide. This week Jazmin learned about environmental and biological correlates of SIB in children. One of the most fun aspects of our profession is getting to learn new stuff as we strive to teach others! This week we are sharing our conversation with Jeana Martin who is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and a Spiritual Director. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Angelo State University, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts in Counseling from the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. Jeana currently runs a small private practice called Pilgrims on a Journey where she focuses on working with trauma from primarily her Somatic Experiencing approach. With Jeana we talk about what the difference is between being a spiritual director and a counselor in working with clients. She goes into depth about how she sees and approaches boundaries in her work. Jeana really leans into her Somatic Experiencing expertise in all of the ways that she works with clients and so we explore several of the different ways she does that. Jeana leads groups on pilgrimage, in particular on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and we loved hearing her talk about that, including some things to think about before offering these types of services as a professional. Resources mentioned: Somatic Experiencing Training: https://traumahealing.org/training/ In An Unspoken Voice by Peter LevineI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya AngelouGift of the Red Bird: The Story of a Divine Encounter by Paula D'ArcyThe Way (2010 film)The Way, My Way (2024 film)Jeana’s practice website: https://www.pilgrimsonajourney.org/ Jeana’s instagram: @PilgrimsonajourneyUpcoming Retreats and Pilgrimages with Jeana: https://www.pilgrimsonajourney.org/retreats-pilgrimages Thank you for listening! By the way, if you're curious about how we produce this show, we use Alitu. It's straightforward to use and has made podcasting actually sustainable for us. Use code tea50 at Alitu.com for 50% off if you want to try it yourself! Thoughts? Questions? Email us at therapyteapod@gmail.com Listen to us on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmM3_WRulJpvstPLZiKOBQ Follow us on social media: Facebook: Therapy Tea Podcast https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552953196482 Instagram: @therapyteapod https://www.instagram.com/therapyteapod/ Disclaimer: This podcast is not therapy and does not establish a professional, therapeutic counseling relationship. All statements made on this podcast by hosts and guests are their individual personal perspectives only and are not necessarily shared by anyone else. The hosts and guests on this podcast are not speaking on behalf of all mental health professionals or the profession as a whole.

    2h 2m

  4. JAN 7

    41. Slinging Brisket on the Side and Having a CEO Mindset (ft. Kealan Muth, LPC)

    This week Karen learned that BEHC is the boy who cried wolf. Let’s all get together and advocate for quarterly bulletins instead of sporadic, non-specific, and often error-laden emails from our licensing board regarding “rule updates.” This week we are sharing our conversation with Kealan Muth who is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas. He has a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology from University of Oklahoma and a Masters in Counseling Psychology from Texas A&M University - Central Texas. He works as the Clinical Director of Alchemy Collective, a group practice located in New Braunfels. He both manages the practice and has his own caseload of clients, where he specializes in couples work (esp. high conflict couples), trauma intensives, and neurodivergence. With Kaelan we discuss the true crime to counselor pipeline, his CPS experience, and how he channeled his initial interests in biology and psychometry into his specialties as a counselor in private practice. Because Kaelan works as a Clinical Director, he shares some details about managing employees, including the challenges around professionalism. Resources mentioned: Fragility Of Trust: Exploring The Neuroscience, Psychology, and Real World Applications For Building And Repairing Trust by Kealan MuthDr K videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HealthyGamerGG Go touch grass with your feet!Alchemy Collective practice: https://alchemycollectiveaustin.com/locations/new-braunfels Thank you for listening! By the way, if you're curious about how we produce this show, we use Alitu. It's straightforward to use and has made podcasting actually sustainable for us. Use code tea50 at Alitu.com for 50% off if you want to try it yourself! Thoughts? Questions? Email us at therapyteapod@gmail.com Listen to us on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmM3_WRulJpvstPLZiKOBQ Follow us on social media: Facebook: Therapy Tea Podcast https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552953196482 Instagram: @therapyteapod https://www.instagram.com/therapyteapod/ Disclaimer: This podcast is not therapy and does not establish a professional, therapeutic counseling relationship. All statements made on this podcast by hosts and guests are their individual personal perspectives only and are not necessarily shared by anyone else. The hosts and guests on this podcast are not speaking on behalf of all mental health professionals or the profession as a whole.

    1h 27m

  5. 12/24/2025

    40. Holiday Special: It's Xmas Eve and All Through the House...

    This week we’re dropping a very silly conversation between Jazmin and Karen all about closing out another year! 2026, here we come! This one is light and fun: we discuss both terrible and beloved Christmas movies, the particular trauma that has been 2025, and how we’re both really looking forward to this year just ending already. We’ve also got podcast changes happening in 2026 and we need your feedback! Thank you for listening! By the way, if you're curious about how we produce this show, we use Alitu. It's straightforward to use and has made podcasting actually sustainable for us. Use code tea50 at Alitu.com for 50% off if you want to try it yourself! Thoughts? Questions? Email us at therapyteapod@gmail.com Listen to us on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmM3_WRulJpvstPLZiKOBQ Follow us on social media: Facebook: Therapy Tea Podcast https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552953196482 Instagram: @therapyteapod https://www.instagram.com/therapyteapod/ Disclaimer: This podcast is not therapy and does not establish a professional, therapeutic counseling relationship. All statements made on this podcast by hosts and guests are their individual personal perspectives only and are not necessarily shared by anyone else. The hosts and guests on this podcast are not speaking on behalf of all mental health professionals or the profession as a whole.

    41 min

  6. 12/10/2025

    39. School Counseling Requires Self-Advocacy and the Insurance Ponzi Scheme (ft. Robin Burleson, LPC, PMH-C)

    This week Jazmin learned that not only are worksheets not *all bad*, but also, she actually kinda likes them. [Gasp!] That’s right y’all - done properly and with intention, worksheets in therapy can be really useful and helpful. Just don’t use them wrong (which is really easy to do). This week we are sharing our conversation with Robin Burleson who is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas and a certified Perinatal Mental Health Counselor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of North Texas and a Master of Education in Counseling from the University of North Texas. Robin has a private practice called Her Journey Counseling where she focuses on providing individual therapy for women and teen girls. With Robin we discuss some of the logistical things to think about before offering something like “walk-and-talk” therapy in your practice. She breaks down school counseling, including what it is, challenges in being supported administratively as a school counselor, and how it is an amazing learning and work experience option for LPC-Associates. With Robin we also explore her shift into private practice and specializing in perinatal mental health -- including explaining and defining that for everyone all the time! She joins in our complaints about insurance companies generally and how they directly interfere with delivering mental health services effectively. Resources mentioned: The Private Practice Pro: https://www.theprivatepracticepro.com/ Join the Texas Counseling Association: https://www.txca.org/membership/membership-benefits The album, "Firstborn" by Nicolle Galyon: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kigUu1wldoUnaYhQv5oRfOtMQNdcEpTaU The TV series, One Tree Hill (2003), available on Hulu!Robin’s social media: Instagram: @herjourneycounselingRobin’s practice website: www.herjourneycounseling.com Thank you for listening! By the way, if you're curious about how we produce this show, we use Alitu. It's straightforward to use and has made podcasting actually sustainable for us. Use code tea50 at Alitu.com for 50% off if you want to try it yourself! Thoughts? Questions? Email us at therapyteapod@gmail.com Listen to us on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmM3_WRulJpvstPLZiKOBQ Follow us on social media: Facebook: Therapy Tea Podcast https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552953196482 Instagram: @therapyteapod https://www.instagram.com/therapyteapod/ Disclaimer: This podcast is not therapy and does not establish a professional, therapeutic counseling relationship. All statements made on this podcast by hosts and guests are their individual personal perspectives only and are not necessarily shared by anyone else. The hosts and guests on this podcast are not speaking on behalf of all mental health professionals or the profession as a whole.

    1h 40m

  7. 11/30/2025

    Mental Motherhood BONUS: Dog Moms! Yes, it Still Counts.

    It’s the final episode of our special series and we’re closing it out on a high note with a silly bonus! We’re chatting about being dog moms -- the most dismissed and underappreciated of the motherhood experiences! We’re going into how it’s not as easy as it looks and no one even tries to give us a Mother’s Day card for our efforts. It’s a thankless job, but somebody’s gotta do it. Resources mentioned:  Slow drinking water bowl: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J4PJNZF?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_20 Elevated dog beds for outdoors: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VKPQZX8?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_19&th=1 Fluff and Tuff toys: https://fluffandtuff.com/shop/  ADOPT FROM SHELTERS! Please adopt locally when you can! PAWS Shelter of Central Texas: https://pawsshelter.org/ Humane Society of New Braunfels Area: https://www.hsnba.org/ San Antonio Pets Alive!: https://www.sanantoniopetsalive.org/ Austin Pets Alive!: https://www.austinpetsalive.org/  Thank you for listening!  Listen to us on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmM3_WRulJpvstPLZiKOBQ  Follow us on social media:  Facebook: Therapy Tea Podcast https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552953196482  Instagram: @therapyteapod https://www.instagram.com/therapyteapod/  Thoughts? Questions? Email us at therapyteapod@gmail.com  By the way, if you're curious about how we produce this show, we use Alitu. It's straightforward to use and has made podcasting actually sustainable for us. Use code tea50 at Alitu.com for 50% off if you want to try it yourself! Disclaimer: This podcast is not therapy and does not establish a professional, therapeutic counseling relationship. All statements made on this podcast by hosts and guests are their individual personal perspectives only and are not necessarily shared by anyone else. The hosts and guests on this podcast are not speaking on behalf of all mental health professionals or the profession as a whole.

    49 min

  8. 11/19/2025

    Mental Motherhood #10: Whisper Words of Wisdom, Let it Be (ft. Jonnie Wilson, LPC)

    This week we’re talking to the incomparable Jonnie Wilson about being the matriarch of her family and getting all the way into great-grandparenthood! Jonnie’s kids are so grown that they’re starting to try to take care of her now! Jonnie is still as full of spunk and as independent as ever, but everything is on the cusp of another big relational shift and it’s still about keeping solid boundaries while prioritizing connection. As always, Jonnie shares her wisdom about how to remember what really matters in life - FAMILY.  Want more Jonnie? Check out our prior episode with her: Ep. #23: Being Part of the Solution and Bridging Gaps in Communities (ft. Jonnie Wilson, LPC) Jonnie’s practice: https://speakingheart2heart.com/  Resources mentioned:  Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey The GRIEVE Method: 7 Practical Steps for Grievers to Heal, Grow and Rebuild Their Lives by Bradley VinsonWhat This Kid Wants Adults To Know About Grief by Bryce Fields Thank you for listening!  Listen to us on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmM3_WRulJpvstPLZiKOBQ  Follow us on social media:  Facebook: Therapy Tea Podcast https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552953196482  Instagram: @therapyteapod https://www.instagram.com/therapyteapod/  Thoughts? Questions? Email us at therapyteapod@gmail.com  By the way, if you're curious about how we produce this show, we use Alitu. It's straightforward to use and has made podcasting actually sustainable for us. Use code tea50 at Alitu.com for 50% off if you want to try it yourself! Disclaimer: This podcast is not therapy and does not establish a professional, therapeutic counseling relationship. All statements made on this podcast by hosts and guests are their individual personal perspectives only and are not necessarily shared by anyone else. The hosts and guests on this podcast are not speaking on behalf of all mental health professionals or the profession as a whole.

    52 min
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Why, oh why, did I become a therapist? What was I thinking?!? Am I losing it? Or was I just misinformed?.... Join Therapy Tea hosts, Jazmin and Karen, two licensed professional counselors, every other Wednesday, as they, with the help of other mental health professionals, seek to find the answers to these deep, gut-wrenching, existential questions. Each episode, they interview fellow counselors and other professionals working in the mental health field to discuss mistakes they’ve made, career mis-steps, and those “ah-ha!” and “AHHHHHHH!!!!” moments that shift perspective. They cover the real-life practice of mental health work through a pretentious-free lens and reveal the out-of-the-textbook realities of counseling theories. All the while, they hope desperately to gain some hindsight insights on all the things they wish they had known before becoming counselors.

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