Self Careapist Therapist Podcast

Lorain Moorehead

How do you actually use EMDR, CBT, or IFS in session, not the textbook version, but with a real client sitting across from you? Self Careapist Therapist is a therapist-to-therapist podcast where licensed clinicians break down the  clinical skills, modalities, and hard conversations that training programs skim over. Hosted by Lorain Moorehead, LCSW, PMH-C, EMDR Certified Approved Consultant, Clinical Supervisor, and graduate school faculty associate. Each week features expert guests, including researchers, authors, and practicing clinicians, sharing evidence-based interventions you can take straight into your next session.   Topics include:   • EMDR therapy, trauma processing, and advanced EMDR applications   • Internal Family Systems (IFS), parts work, and integrative trauma approaches   • CBT, DBT, RO-DBT, ACT, and third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies   • Clinical supervision, therapist training, and professional development   • Trauma, complex trauma, PTSD, CPTSD, and nervous system regulation   • ADHD, autism, neurodiversity-affirming assessment and treatment   • Therapist burnout, perfectionism, compassion fatigue, and sustainable self-care   • Couples therapy, attachment theory, and relational wounds   • Anxiety, OCD, and exposure-based interventions   • Grief, prolonged grief disorder, and meaning-making   • Suicide risk assessment, CAMS, and crisis intervention   • Parent-child therapy, adolescent anxiety, and family systems   • Perinatal mental health   • Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and emerging modalities   • Clinical ethics, risk management, and culturally responsive practice   • Private practice development, insurance, and building a sustainable career   Questions we answer:   • How do I use EMDR, CBT, DBT, or ACT in real-life sessions, not just textbook examples?   • How do I choose which therapy modality to learn next?   • How do other therapists handle burnout and compassion fatigue?   • How do I integrate different modalities instead of feeling like I'm doing them wrong?   • When should I use IFS parts work versus EMDR reprocessing?   • How do I grow as a therapist after grad school or licensure?   • How do I make my practice more trauma-informed and culturally responsive?   • How do I find my niche or specialty as a clinician?   • What does evidence-based therapy actually look like in practice?   • How do therapists cope with imposter syndrome and self-doubt?   • How do I explain complex therapy concepts to clients in simple language?   • What is the best podcast by therapists, for therapists? Whether you are a seasoned clinician or a graduate student, every episode is designed to sharpen your clinical thinking and reconnect you with the curiosity that makes therapy meaningful. Conference-level education and psych journal-quality conversations delivered while you drive, walk, or decompress between sessions. Many episodes offer a free CEU for licensure in Arizona through the Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. Content is relevant for continuing education across LCSW, LMHC, LPC, LMFT, NCC, NBCC, and psychology licensure. Subscribe and leave a review. It helps other therapists find the show.

  1. Aug 12 ·  Video

    Why Burnout Prevention Is More Than Self-Care with Shaina Siber, LCSW

    You clock out, but your brain doesn't. You're still short with your kids, still numb through your own weekend, still running on a threat response that never got the memo the workday ended and you're not sure self-care is actually touching it. Shaina Siber, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, integrative therapist, and founder of AFFIRM Mental Health, a continuing education company for mental health professionals. She's the author of "Using ACT and CFT for Burnout Recovery: The Beyond Burnout Blueprint" and host of The Affirming Minds Podcast. In this episode, you'll learn: - Christina Maslach's 6 systemic drivers of burnout — and why most of them have nothing to do with willpower or self-care - How Compassion-Focused Therapy's threat/drive/soothing model explains why "well-intentioned" coping (a workout, a glass of wine) often doesn't actually calm your nervous system - Why venting has a real physiological upside in small doses — and how it backfires when it becomes reflexive ("the dose makes the poison") - Two steps from Shaina's Beyond Burnout Blueprint: creating a compelling vision, and identifying your unique strengths - What she'd change first as an employer to prevent burnout on a team — starting with psychological safety Timestamps: 0:00 Welcome & Meet Shaina Siber, LCSW 0:53 The Martyrdom Baked Into Helping Professions 3:34 What Burnout Actually Is (Beyond "Being Tired") 6:59 Christina Maslach's 6 Systemic Drivers of Burnout 28:31 Compassion-Focused Therapy: Old Brain vs. New Brain 33:01 The 3 Systems of Emotional Regulation (Threat, Drive, Soothing) 38:44 Step 1: Creating a Compelling Vision 44:35 Step 3: Watch Your Words (Venting, Complaining, Reassurance-Seeking) 49:27 Step 4: Identify Your Unique Strengths 54:29 Step 5: Be Kind to Yourself and Others 59:49 What Leaders Can Do to Prevent Team Burnout 65:44 Where to Find Shaina Siber If you liked this episode, you might want to check out this episode on Perfectionism education and research. Resources mentioned: - Shaina's book: "Using ACT and CFT for Burnout Recovery: The Beyond Burnout Blueprint" - The Affirming Minds Podcast (Shaina's podcast) - AFFIRM Mental Health  - Christina Maslach's burnout research (6 systemic drivers) - Paul Gilbert, founder of Compassion-Focused Therapy - Kristin Neff's self-compassion research (restorative and fierce compassion) A short mid-roll CTA inviting listeners to take the Stuck Point Quiz at lorainmoorehead.com/quiz, identify their clinical stuck point, and access personalized resources. Includes an optional invitation to join Lorain’s newsletter. The Self Careapist Therapist Podcast is a biweekly conversation with Lorain Moorehead, LCSW a therapist in private practice.  With guests ranging from expert psychologists, therapists, researchers and authors, each episode offers a deep dive and keeps listeners from intern to advanced supervisor  in mind while dropping gems and aha moments for everyone who loves to learn! If you love learning and want to keep track of some future learning opportunities, grab your personal curriculum here! If you liked this episode, feel free to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us be a top mental health podcast and resource.  See you next week!

  2. Aug 3 ·  Video

    The Rumination Bully: Why Fighting Back Can Make It Worse and What to Do Instead

    You're lying awake trying to think your way to certainty; running the same worry in circles, getting nowhere, but unable to stop. If a client's "careful thinking" has quietly become compulsive reasoning, exposure and response prevention alone won't fix it. This episode shows you what will. Dr. Lisa Levine, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist and owner of the OCD and Anxiety Treatment Center of Maryland. After 23 years specializing in OCD treatment, she developed non-engagement response strategies for clients whose ERP work was being quietly undermined by compulsive reasoning and rumination happening entirely in their heads; often clients who looked like they were doing everything right. In this episode, you'll learn: - How to tell compulsive reasoning apart from real problem-solving, intrusive thoughts, and obsessing - The "urgency and desperation" litmus test for spotting when reasoning has become compulsive - Why suppression and reassurance-seeking backfire — and what a non-engagement response actually sounds like - The "rumination bully" framework and how strategic agreeing defuses it - Why this shows up constantly in high-achieving clients who'd never be diagnosed with OCD Timestamps: 0:00 Welcome & Meet Dr. Lisa Levine 3:03 What Makes Reasoning "Compulsive"? The Urgency & Desperation Test 9:04 Compulsive Reasoning vs. Intrusive Thoughts vs. Obsessing 12:00 Why Suppression and Reassurance Backfire 18:03 The Toddler Tantrum Analogy: Why It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better 24:07 When Deep Thinking Is Healthy — And When It's a Trap 30:00 The Rumination Bully and the Power of Strategic Agreeing 39:04 Real-World Exposure Examples: Driving, Parking, Everyday Risk 48:00 What a Non-Engagement Response Actually Sounds Like 54:00 Why This Work Takes Courage — Giving Clients (and Yourself) Credit If you liked this episode, watch "Why OCD is Not an Adjective" next. Resources mentioned: - Dr. Levine's article on compulsive reasoning - "How to Stop a Bully"- Brookes Gibbs - Dr. Levine's mentor, Charlie Mansueto, credited with teaching her the "dead man's rule" framework This episode covers topics relevant to CE/CEU for LCSW, LMHC, LPC, LMFT, NCC. Free CEU available for Arizona licensure through the Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. Subscribe for weekly clinical training you can use in your next session. Website: https://lorainmoorehead.com Instagram: @selfcareapist Podcast: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2512198 #therapist #mentalhealth #continuingeducation #therapisteducation #CEU #LCSW #LPC #LMFT #LMHC #evidencebasedtherapy #therapisttraining #clinicalskills #counseloreducation #OCD #ERP #rumination #compulsivereasoning #anxietytreatment A short mid-roll CTA inviting listeners to take the Stuck Point Quiz at lorainmoorehead.com/quiz, identify their clinical stuck point, and access personalized resources. Includes an optional invitation to join Lorain’s newsletter. The Self Careapist Therapist Podcast is a biweekly conversation with Lorain Moorehead, LCSW a therapist in private practice.  With guests ranging from expert psychologists, therapists, researchers and authors, each episode offers a deep dive and keeps listeners from intern to advanced supervisor  in mind while dropping gems and aha moments for everyone who loves to learn! If you love learning and want to keep track of some future learning opportunities, grab your personal curriculum here! If you liked this episode, feel free to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us be a top mental health podcast and resource.  See you next week!

  3. Jul 15 ·  Video

    Anti-Racist Psychotherapy: Addressing Race and Racism in Therapy

    David Archer, MSW, MFT — EMDR therapist, EMDRIA-approved trainer, and author of "Anti-Racist Psychotherapy" breaks down how EMDR therapy can be used to treat racial trauma and complex trauma in clinical practice. In this episode of the Self Careapist Therapist Podcast, Lorain Moorehead, LCSW, PMH-C, sits down with David to explore anti-racist psychotherapy as a science-based framework that integrates EMDR therapy, trauma-informed therapy, and an understanding of how systemic racism creates lasting neurobiological harm. David shares his Rhythm and Processing (RAP) approach,  a somatic, rhythm-based method rooted in EMDR principles and explains how therapists can apply memory reconsolidation techniques to help clients heal from racial trauma, complex trauma, and the intersection of both. Whether you're an EMDR therapist, a trauma therapist, or a clinician working with diverse populations, this conversation offers practical clinical tools for addressing race and racism in the therapy room. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 — Introduction: Who is David Archer? 02:30 — What Is Anti-Racist Psychotherapy? 08:15 — The Overlap Between Racial Trauma and Complex Trauma 15:42 — How Systemic Racism Creates Neurobiological Harm 22:18 — EMDR Therapy and Racial Trauma: The Clinical Connection 29:05 — Rhythm and Processing (RAP): A Somatic Approach to Healing 36:50 — Memory Reconsolidation and Conflicting Client Beliefs 44:12 — Working with Clients' Nervous Systems and Allostatic Load 51:30 — Practical Clinical Applications for Therapists 58:20 — Accessibility and Making Healing Available to All 1:05:00 — David's Books and EMDR Training Programs 1:08:00 — Final Reflections and Takeaways for Clinicians 📌 TOPICS COVERED • Anti-racist psychotherapy as a clinical framework • EMDR therapy for racial trauma and complex PTSD • Rhythm and Processing (RAP) — David Archer's somatic approach • Racial trauma vs. complex trauma: overlaps and distinctions • Memory reconsolidation in trauma therapy • How allostatic load and nervous system dysregulation manifest as racial trauma • Conflicting beliefs and cognitive dissonance in trauma processing • Trauma-informed therapy across cultural and racial identities • Practical EMDR therapy techniques for diverse client populations • Accessibility in mental health care 🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS 📚 David Archer's book — "Anti-Racist Psychotherapy: Confronting Systemic Racism and Healing Racial Trauma" Available on Amazon (US & Canada) and BIPOC-owned bookstores: https://archertherapy.com/books/anti-racist-psychotherapy/ 🌐 David Archer's website (therapy services, consultation, blog): https://archertherapy.com/ 🎓 EMDR Training & RAP Approach (EMDRIA-approved, online): https://archertherapy.com/training/emdr-basic/ 📚 David's other books: • "Black Meditation" — https://archertherapy.com/black-meditation/ • "Racial Trauma Recovery" — https://archertherapy.com/racial-trauma-recovery/ • "Black Mountain" — https://archertherapy.com/black-mountain/ • "Transforming Complex Trauma" — https://archertherapy.com/transforming-complex-trauma/ 📧 Contact David Archer: https://archertherapy.com/contact/ 📚 ABOUT  SELF CAREAPIST THERAPIST PODCAST Hosted by Lorain Moorehead, LCSW, PMH-C, EMDR Certified Consultant, and Clinical Supervisor Self Careapist Therapist Podcast delivers conference-level clinical training between sessions. Each episode features in-depth clinician interviews and practical technique walkthroughs covering EMDR, CBT, DBT, RO-DBT, ACT, IFS, play therapy, and trauma-informed approaches. Whether you're a practicing therapist, social worker, clinical psychologist, or counselor, you'll find assessment strategies, case conceptualization frameworks, and evidence-based interventions you can apply in your very next session. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly clinical training episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@selfcareapist 💬 Join the conversation leave a comment with your clinical questions or reflections The Self Careapist Therapist Podcast is a biweekly conversation with Lorain Moorehead, LCSW a therapist in private practice.  With guests ranging from expert psychologists, therapists, researchers and authors, each episode offers a deep dive and keeps listeners from intern to advanced supervisor  in mind while dropping gems and aha moments for everyone who loves to learn! If you love learning and want to keep track of some future learning opportunities, grab your personal curriculum here! If you liked this episode, feel free to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us be a top mental health podcast and resource.  See you next week! A short mid-roll CTA inviting listeners to take the Stuck Point Quiz at lorainmoorehead.com/quiz, identify their clinical stuck point, and access personalized resources. Includes an optional invitation to join Lorain’s newsletter. The Self Careapist Therapist Podcast is a biweekly conversation with Lorain Moorehead, LCSW a therapist in private practice.  With guests ranging from expert psychologists, therapists, researchers and authors, each episode offers a deep dive and keeps listeners from intern to advanced supervisor  in mind while dropping gems and aha moments for everyone who loves to learn! If you love learning and want to keep track of some future learning opportunities, grab your personal curriculum here! If you liked this episode, feel free to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us be a top mental health podcast and resource.  See you next week!

  4. Jul 1 ·  Video

    Therapy or Clinical Supervision: Two Different Takes

    Lorain Moorehead, LCSW, PMH-C, EMDR Certified Consultant & Clinical Supervisor, sits down with Dr. Laurie Bruce, clinical psychologist (25+ years), mindfulness coach, host of "From Both Sides of the Couch," in a cross-show conversation recorded for both podcasts. They unpack the gap between CEUs and real clinical consultation, what happens when a client triggers something personal in session, and the barriers that keep therapists from finding their own therapist. If you found our episode on EMDR consultation requirements useful, this conversation goes further into the blurry territory between supervision, consultation, and personal therapy. Timestamps:  0:00 — The problem with supervision ending at licensure  1:14 — How other countries require ongoing consultation and the US doesn't  2:16 — Why CEUs should partially be replaced with consultation hours  3:16 — Learning a new modality means starting over, and why that demands supervision  11:04 — Lorain's experience with EMDR consultation requirements  12:47 — Dr. Bruce on DBT consultation teams, RO-DBT, and DART training  17:26 — The deep self-exploration required in IFS training  18:29 — The blurry line between therapy, supervision, and consultation  22:00 — Naming it as a form of informed consent and emotional regulation  23:39 — Administrative vs. clinical supervision: why they're not the same  27:10 — Barriers to therapists seeking their own therapy  34:06 — Structured vs. organic supervision: two different philosophies  42:01 — Why the intake process is the clinical work, not just a formality  43:23 — Individual vs. peer consultation: the role of trust and vulnerability  45:09 — How to find a therapist when you're a therapist yourself  49:32 — Dr. Bruce's upcoming virtual community for therapists and caregivers  52:05 — Where to find Lorain's work on perfectionism, burnout, and anxiety Episode Highlights:  Supervision is treated as a finish line tied to licensure instead of an ongoing clinical need.  Several countries require monthly consultation to maintain licensure, while the US relies on CEU hours alone.  Specializing in a new modality puts a clinician back at square one, requiring the same level of supervision as early training.  Administrative supervision and clinical supervision serve different functions and should not be conflated.  Naming what is happening in the room functions as both informed consent and a regulation tool.  The biggest barriers to therapists seeking their own therapy are financial, the conditioning to be the expert, and the difficulty of finding someone outside their professional circle.  A strong intake is not a formality. It is where the clinical work and the supervisee's core skills are actually built. Host: Lorain Moorehead, LCSW, PMH-C, EMDR Certified Consultant & Clinical Supervisor. Private practice supporting high-achieving adults and therapists with perfectionism, burnout, anxiety, and irritability. This episode covers topics relevant to CE/CEU for LCSW, LMHC, LPC, LMFT, NCC. Free CEU available for Arizona licensure through the Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. Subscribe for weekly clinical training you can use in your next session. Website: https://lorainmoorehead.com Instagram: @selfcareapist Podcast: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2512198 #therapist #mentalhealth #continuingeducation #CEU #LCSW #LPC #LMFT #clinicalsupervision #EMDR #DBT A short mid-roll CTA inviting listeners to take the Stuck Point Quiz at lorainmoorehead.com/quiz, identify their clinical stuck point, and access personalized resources. Includes an optional invitation to join Lorain’s newsletter. The Self Careapist Therapist Podcast is a biweekly conversation with Lorain Moorehead, LCSW a therapist in private practice.  With guests ranging from expert psychologists, therapists, researchers and authors, each episode offers a deep dive and keeps listeners from intern to advanced supervisor  in mind while dropping gems and aha moments for everyone who loves to learn! If you love learning and want to keep track of some future learning opportunities, grab your personal curriculum here! If you liked this episode, feel free to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us be a top mental health podcast and resource.  See you next week!

  5. Jun 17

    DBT for LGBTQ+ Mental Health: Self-Love, Emotional Resilience & Queer Joy With Dr. Kiki Fehling

    What does DBT look like when it is truly LGBTQ+ affirming? In this episode of The Self Careapist Therapist, I sit down with Dr. Kiki Fehling to talk about DBT for LGBTQ+ mental health, minority stress, queer joy, self-love, emotional resilience, and what it means to apply skills in a way that actually honors context. We talk about why being queer is not the source of mental health harm, how anti-queer environments shape emotion dysregulation, and why DBT can be especially helpful when clinicians understand the transaction between identity, biology, environment, invalidation, and safety. If you are a therapist working with LGBTQ+ clients, or if you are trying to deepen your affirming practice beyond good intentions, this conversation offers a thoughtful clinical lens. Listen to the full episode of DBT for LGBTQ+ Mental Health: Self-Love, Emotional Resilience & Queer Joy With Dr. Kiki Fehling. Dr. Kiki Fehling, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and Linehan-Board-certified Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) expert therapist. She specializes in emotional sensitivity, borderline personality disorder, self-harm and suicide, trauma, and LGBTQ+ mental health. She is the co-author of Self-Directed DBT Skills: A 3-Month DBT Workbook and regularly shares mental health tips and DBT-related posts through her @dbtkiki social media accounts. Her work focuses on making DBT skills more accessible and affirming for LGBTQ+ people, especially around self-love, emotional resilience, minority stress, and queer joy. Website: https://www.kikifehling.com/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dbtkiki/  Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkikifehling/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/drkikifehling/  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dbtkiki Lorain Moorehead is a therapist, consultant, and EMDR Certified, EMDRIA‑approved consultant specializing in trauma‑informed care and EMDR integration. She works with high‑achieving adults navigating anxiety, perfectionism, identity loss, and relational stress through depth‑oriented, evidence‑based approaches. Lorain brings advanced training in DBT and certification in Perinatal Mental Health, grounding her work in safety, attunement, and nervous‑system awareness. She also supports clinicians through supervision, consultation, and training, with a strong focus on ethical practice and clinical decisionmaking. In 2025, she launched The Self Care‑apist Therapist Podcast, creating space for therapists to explore innovative, research‑backed modalities—including emerging conversations around KAP and trauma treatment. Website: https://lorainmoorehead.com/    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorainmoorehead/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theselfcareapist/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theselfcareapist    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjS1AkQopGeVq6eP-1j7Y4i-oloOPSJmw   A short mid-roll CTA inviting listeners to take the Stuck Point Quiz at lorainmoorehead.com/quiz, identify their clinical stuck point, and access personalized resources. Includes an optional invitation to join Lorain’s newsletter. The Self Careapist Therapist Podcast is a biweekly conversation with Lorain Moorehead, LCSW a therapist in private practice.  With guests ranging from expert psychologists, therapists, researchers and authors, each episode offers a deep dive and keeps listeners from intern to advanced supervisor  in mind while dropping gems and aha moments for everyone who loves to learn! If you love learning and want to keep track of some future learning opportunities, grab your personal curriculum here! If you liked this episode, feel free to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us be a top mental health podcast and resource.  See you next week!

  6. Jun 3

    Interracial Marriage: Love, Identity, and Navigating Differences with Geoffrey Greif and Victoria D. Stubbs

    What can interracial couples teach therapists about race, family systems, and the conversations many clients are still learning how to have? In this episode of The Self Careapist Therapist, I sit down with Dr. Geoffrey Greif and Victoria D. Stubbs, LCSW, co-authors of Interracial Marriage: How Diverse Couples Navigate Relationships. We talk about what hundreds of interviews with interracial and interethnic couples revealed about communication, family approval, identity, power, children, language, safety, and the daily accommodations many couples learn to make. We also explore how therapists can approach these conversations with more humility, curiosity, and clinical nuance. Victoria shares how the six pillars of a brave space framework can support conversations about race, power, privilege, oppression, and identity, while Geoffrey highlights what research interviews can reveal that surveys often miss. Listen to this episode of Interracial Marriage: Love, Identity, and Navigating Differences with Geoffrey Greif and Victoria D. Stubbs Dr. Geoffrey Greif is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, researcher, author, and co-author of Interracial Marriage: How Diverse Couples Navigate Relationships. His work spans family relationships, fathers, adult sibling relationships, group work, and interracial marriage research. Website: https://geoffreygreifbooks.com Victoria D. Stubbs is the founder of Inner Truth Psychotherapy and Wellness, co-author of Interracial Marriage: How Diverse Couples Navigate Relationships and was previously a full-time clinical instructor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.  Website: https://www.innertruthllc.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innertruthllc/ Discover how love transcends boundaries — click the link to grab your copy of Interracial Marriage: How Diverse Couples Navigate Relationships in a Divided Time and explore the powerful, real stories that remind us that connection is stronger than division!  Buy the Book Here: https://www.amazon.com/Interracial-Marriage-Diverse-Navigate-Relationships/dp/0231218192 Lorain Moorehead is a therapist, consultant, and EMDR Certified, EMDRIA‑approved consultant specializing in trauma‑informed care and EMDR integration. She works with high‑achieving adults navigating anxiety, perfectionism, identity loss, and relational stress through depth‑oriented, evidence‑based approaches. Lorain brings advanced training in DBT and certification in Perinatal Mental Health, grounding her work in safety, attunement, and nervous‑system awareness. She also supports clinicians through supervision, consultation, and training, with a strong focus on ethical practice and clinical decisionmaking. In 2025, she launched The Self Care‑apist Therapist Podcast, creating space for therapists to explore innovative, research‑backed modalities—including emerging conversations around KAP and trauma treatment. Website: https://lorainmoorehead.com/    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorainmoorehead/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theselfcareapist/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theselfcareapist    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjS1AkQopGeVq6eP-1j7Y4i-oloOPSJmw   A short mid-roll CTA inviting listeners to take the Stuck Point Quiz at lorainmoorehead.com/quiz, identify their clinical stuck point, and access personalized resources. Includes an optional invitation to join Lorain’s newsletter. The Self Careapist Therapist Podcast is a biweekly conversation with Lorain Moorehead, LCSW a therapist in private practice.  With guests ranging from expert psychologists, therapists, researchers and authors, each episode offers a deep dive and keeps listeners from intern to advanced supervisor  in mind while dropping gems and aha moments for everyone who loves to learn! If you love learning and want to keep track of some future learning opportunities, grab your personal curriculum here! If you liked this episode, feel free to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us be a top mental health podcast and resource.  See you next week!

  7. May 20

    Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT): A Clinical Approach to Emotional Overcontrol With Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher

    Your most contained, rule-following, hardest-working clients may be the ones standard DBT is least equipped to help. In this episode of Self Careapist Therapist, I sit down with Dr. Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher, lecturer at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UIC, and owner of EAF ReCenter. With over 30 years of clinical and teaching experience, Dr. Astrachan-Fletcher is a nationally recognized expert in both DBT and Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT). She is the co-author of two clinical workbooks used in eating disorder treatment programs across the country, and her third book, RO-DBT for Anxiety, is set for release in August 2026. We cover what RO-DBT is, who it's designed for, how it differs from standard DBT, and what a training path looks like for clinicians who want to learn it. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Radically Open DBT was developed by Dr. Tom Lynch after observing that many clients, particularly those with chronic depression, restrictive eating disorders, and anxiety, were not responding to standard DBT. Standard DBT targets emotional dysregulation, helping clients learn to contain and control. RO-DBT does the opposite: it targets emotional overcontrol, the pattern of holding emotions in, appearing fine, and disconnecting from authentic social signaling. Dr. Astrachan-Fletcher explains the concept of emotional leakage, the moments when a tightly controlled client expresses emotion in unexpected, often indirect ways. She walks through the three core treatment targets in RO-DBT: flexibility, receptivity and openness, and true connection. True connection, she is careful to clarify, is not having a large social network. It is the felt experience of being known and loved even in your most uncomfortable truths. We also discuss emotional loneliness, what Tom Lynch identifies as the core suffering of overcontrolled clients: feeling utterly alone in a room full of people. Dr. Astrachan-Fletcher explains how this loneliness develops from the overcontrolled pattern of masking inner experience and what RO-DBT teaches clients to do differently. Other topics from this conversation: The temperament and developmental origins of overcontrol, including the role of threat sensitivity and detail focus in shaping coping early in life. The three mind states in RO-DBT: fixed mind, fatalistic mind, and flexible mind, and how each shows up in session. The clinical presentation differences between emotionally undercontrolled and overcontrolled clients, and how easy it is to misread a controlled client as doing well. Why RO-DBT calls its group component a "class" rather than a group, and what that distinction signals about how overcontrolled clients experience social environments. How RO-DBT is transdiagnostic, reaching across depression, OCPD, restrictive eating disorders, anxiety, and several personality disorders.  Resources Mentioned: Official RO-DBT Training Site: radicallyopendbt.net EAF ReCenter (Dr. Astrachan-Fletcher's practice): eaf-recenter.com RO-DBT for Eating Disorders workbook by Dr. Astrachan-Fletcher RO-DBT for Anxiety (forthcoming, August 2026) by Dr. Astrachan-Fletcher Key Points: 00:00 Introduction 03:19 Emotional overcontrol defined 06:51 Overcontrol as the “high road” 09:03 DBT and RO-DBT as dialectics 12:50 Leakage in real life 15:05 Flexibility, openness, true connection 19:49 Social signaling 23:57 Frozen and masked expressions 25:28 Mirror neurons and Botox 28:02 The eyebrow wag 31:29 Self-inquiry and Malamati Sufism 35:38 Self-inquiry meets EMDR 39:14 Mindfulness differences 43:36 Playfulness and teasing 45:35 Screening and self-reporting 50:00 Skills class structure 53:28 Diagnoses that respond to RO-DBT 58:02 Self-care recommendation Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher is a licensed clinical psychologist, Founder of EAF reCenter, and expert in eating disorders, DBT, and Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT). With nearly three decades of experience spanning academia, clinical leadership, supervision, and training, she specializes in helping individuals cultivate authentic connection and emotional resilience.  Website: https://www.eaf-recenter.com/   LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-astrachan-fletcher-ph-d-ceds-s-faed-a2aa8151/?isSelfProfile=false    Lorain Moorehead is a therapist, consultant, and EMDR Certified, EMDRIA‑approved consultant specializing in trauma‑informed care and EMDR integration. She works with high‑achieving adults navigating anxiety, perfectionism, identity loss, and relational stress through depth‑oriented, evidence‑based approaches. Lorain brings advanced training in DBT and certification in Perinatal Mental Health, grounding her work in safety, attunement, and nervous‑system awareness. She also supports clinicians through supervision, consultation, and training, with a strong focus on ethical practice and clinical decision making.  Website: https://lorainmoorehead.com/    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorainmoorehead/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theselfcareapist/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theselfcareapist    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjS1AkQopGeVq6eP-1j7Y4i-oloOPSJmw   A short mid-roll CTA inviting listeners to take the Stuck Point Quiz at lorainmoorehead.com/quiz, identify their clinical stuck point, and access personalized resources. Includes an optional invitation to join Lorain’s newsletter. The Self Careapist Therapist Podcast is a biweekly conversation with Lorain Moorehead, LCSW a therapist in private practice.  With guests ranging from expert psychologists, therapists, researchers and authors, each episode offers a deep dive and keeps listeners from intern to advanced supervisor  in mind while dropping gems and aha moments for everyone who loves to learn! If you love learning and want to keep track of some future learning opportunities, grab your personal curriculum here! If you liked this episode, feel free to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us be a top mental health podcast and resource.  See you next week!

  8. May 13

    Why Clients Skip Their Second EMDR Session (And What It's Telling You)

    Moments of hesitation after a first EMDR session often signal that meaningful work has already begun.   In this episode of The Self Careapist Therapist, I break down what’s really happening when clients feel unsure about continuing EMDR after their first session. I walk through common reactions like exhaustion, vivid dreams, confusion, and the sense that something shifted without fully understanding why.  I also talk about how to respond clinically. Sometimes it’s about better debriefing and helping clients understand what their brain is doing. In some cases, hesitation points to something deeper. Slowing down, strengthening safety, and meeting the client where they are can make the difference between dropout and meaningful progress. Let this episode sharpen how you interpret hesitation in your clients. Watch now Why Clients Skip Their Second EMDR Session (And What It's Telling You). Lorain Moorehead is a therapist, consultant, and EMDR Certified, EMDRIA‑approved consultant specializing in trauma‑informed care and EMDR integration. She works with high‑achieving adults navigating anxiety, perfectionism, identity loss, and relational stress through depth‑oriented, evidence‑based approaches. Lorain brings advanced training in DBT and certification in Perinatal Mental Health, grounding her work in safety, attunement, and nervous‑system awareness. She also supports clinicians through supervision, consultation, and training, with a strong focus on ethical practice and clinical decisionmaking. In 2025, she launched The Self Care‑apist Therapist Podcast, creating space for therapists to explore innovative, research‑backed modalities—including emerging conversations around KAP and trauma treatment. Website: https://lorainmoorehead.com/    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorainmoorehead/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theselfcareapist/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theselfcareapist    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjS1AkQopGeVq6eP-1j7Y4i-oloOPSJmw   The Self Careapist Therapist Podcast is a biweekly conversation with Lorain Moorehead, LCSW a therapist in private practice.  With guests ranging from expert psychologists, therapists, researchers and authors, each episode offers a deep dive and keeps listeners from intern to advanced supervisor  in mind while dropping gems and aha moments for everyone who loves to learn! If you love learning and want to keep track of some future learning opportunities, grab your personal curriculum here! If you liked this episode, feel free to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us be a top mental health podcast and resource.  See you next week!

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About

How do you actually use EMDR, CBT, or IFS in session, not the textbook version, but with a real client sitting across from you? Self Careapist Therapist is a therapist-to-therapist podcast where licensed clinicians break down the  clinical skills, modalities, and hard conversations that training programs skim over. Hosted by Lorain Moorehead, LCSW, PMH-C, EMDR Certified Approved Consultant, Clinical Supervisor, and graduate school faculty associate. Each week features expert guests, including researchers, authors, and practicing clinicians, sharing evidence-based interventions you can take straight into your next session.   Topics include:   • EMDR therapy, trauma processing, and advanced EMDR applications   • Internal Family Systems (IFS), parts work, and integrative trauma approaches   • CBT, DBT, RO-DBT, ACT, and third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies   • Clinical supervision, therapist training, and professional development   • Trauma, complex trauma, PTSD, CPTSD, and nervous system regulation   • ADHD, autism, neurodiversity-affirming assessment and treatment   • Therapist burnout, perfectionism, compassion fatigue, and sustainable self-care   • Couples therapy, attachment theory, and relational wounds   • Anxiety, OCD, and exposure-based interventions   • Grief, prolonged grief disorder, and meaning-making   • Suicide risk assessment, CAMS, and crisis intervention   • Parent-child therapy, adolescent anxiety, and family systems   • Perinatal mental health   • Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and emerging modalities   • Clinical ethics, risk management, and culturally responsive practice   • Private practice development, insurance, and building a sustainable career   Questions we answer:   • How do I use EMDR, CBT, DBT, or ACT in real-life sessions, not just textbook examples?   • How do I choose which therapy modality to learn next?   • How do other therapists handle burnout and compassion fatigue?   • How do I integrate different modalities instead of feeling like I'm doing them wrong?   • When should I use IFS parts work versus EMDR reprocessing?   • How do I grow as a therapist after grad school or licensure?   • How do I make my practice more trauma-informed and culturally responsive?   • How do I find my niche or specialty as a clinician?   • What does evidence-based therapy actually look like in practice?   • How do therapists cope with imposter syndrome and self-doubt?   • How do I explain complex therapy concepts to clients in simple language?   • What is the best podcast by therapists, for therapists? Whether you are a seasoned clinician or a graduate student, every episode is designed to sharpen your clinical thinking and reconnect you with the curiosity that makes therapy meaningful. Conference-level education and psych journal-quality conversations delivered while you drive, walk, or decompress between sessions. Many episodes offer a free CEU for licensure in Arizona through the Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. Content is relevant for continuing education across LCSW, LMHC, LPC, LMFT, NCC, NBCC, and psychology licensure. Subscribe and leave a review. It helps other therapists find the show.

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