The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy Curt Widhalm, LMFT and Katie Vernoy, LMFT

Is Seeking an “Abundance Mindset” Toxic?
Curt and Katie chat about abundance and scarcity mindsets, looking at what the research actually says about these often-used terms. We explore the dangers of how the abundance mindset is often weaponized against entrepreneurs (like private practitioners) in how they think and how much they should pay for coaching services. We also look at the role of privilege in how these mindsets are often talked about. Finally, we explore what might be better to focus on instead: practical or growth mindsets as well as wise mind.  
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode we talk the dangers of striving for abundance mindset
We’ve heard a lot of people in a lot of different settings talk about the ideas of abundance and scarcity mindsets. We see some problems in how these concepts are used within popular culture.
What does the research say about scarcity and abundance mindsets?
·      When you have scarce resources, you will work to protect yourself and avoid death
·      There is research done on actual “scarcity” that is being inaccurately applied to people who do not have scarce resources (like some of the coaches and entrepreneurs who use this term)
·      People who have more resources think more abundantly (the finding is correlational, not directional)
What are the dangers of the “abundance mindset?”
·      The unrealistic nature of “thinking” your way out of poverty or practical challenges (without the reality of action)
·      The blaming the victim that can happen when someone is having trouble reframing their situation more positively
·      Weaponizing “abundance” to imply that you are sabotaging your practice
·      Using “abundance” as a sales tactic
What should therapists do instead of “being abundant?”
·      A strategic or problem-solving mindset
·      Learning practical strategies to do the work necessary
·      Allowing time to grow into the vision of your practice
·      Growth versus fixed mindset
Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined
Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

 

How to Navigate Shifts in the Mental Health Field and Your Career Path: An interview with Dr. Melvin Varghese
Curt and Katie interview Dr. Melvin Varghese about how he’s navigated his career path. We look at a life changing event that helped him to get perspective on what is most important to him. We also explore practicalities of prioritizing personal life as an entrepreneur. 
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode, we talk about how to prioritize your personal life while having a successful career
We invited our friend Melvin Varghese back to the podcast to talk about how he is navigating shifts in the profession and his life.
 What do therapists get wrong when creating their career?
·      Doing too much and not doing things deeply enough
·      Shifting too quickly when things get hard
·      Failing to look at season of life issues when planning your business
·      Having trouble defining success based on what is resonant to oneself
How can therapists prioritize themselves and sustain a therapy career?
·      Pace yourself based on your own life story, not a mentor’s or the “shoulds” from the profession
·      Be willing to “fail forward”
·      Pushing back against “curated authenticity” and look at how to be real, with boundaries
·      Aligning career with morals and values
·      Focus on “decades over days”
·      Sustainable content creation
What are Melvin’s predictions about the future of the profession?
·      Authenticity and real conversations will succeed where AI posting will not
·      Finding content platforms where effort compounds over time
·      Discovery platforms leading to relationship-deepening platforms
·      Navigating a lot of tech and insurance companies
·      People have less discretionary money, so diversifying your income is valuable
Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined
Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Are Therapy and Coaching All That Different?
Curt and Katie chat about the differences between coaching and therapy, for a second time. We look at some common myths (and how coaches continue to share this misinformation). We also look at how therapists can effectively incorporate coaching into their therapy sessions, with client consent. Finally, we discuss the challenges inherent in coaching and in therapy, and why therapists may feel they need to choose one or the other. 
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode we talk the differences between coaching and therapy
We’ve come back around to exploring coaching. We look at the differences, the pros and cons, and what therapists can incorporate into therapy.
What are the differences between coaching and therapy?
·      There are no regulations for coaching
·      Therapists are limited to providing services where they are licensed or have practicing privileges
·      Coaching is often more directive (but therapy can be directive as well)
·      Coaching has flexibility to work outside of session (although therapists can do coaching calls and more experiential work)
·      Therapy often requires “medical necessity,” and can treat more serious concerns
·      There are sometimes different structures between how therapy and coaching are set up (i.e., coaching has more room for asynchronous courses)
·      There is a false story that therapy always looks at the past or sees clients as broken
What parts of coaching can therapists incorporate into therapy?
·      Therapists can use a more directive, coaching style, even though not all therapists do
·      Therapists, within a treatment agreement, can (and should) hold clients accountable and have more specific goals
·      Lived experience informing the work
·      Marketing with specificity and focused expertise
Why do therapists feel they need to choose between therapy and coaching?
·      It is more complicated to provide different services to your clients
·      There is a potential for dual relationships and the rules are different within coaching
·      The need for informed consent can hinder some of the other types of services that fit into coaching
·      Coaching is for the “worried well” whereas therapy can include folks with deeper issues

Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined

Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Are You Too Burned Out to Work? An ethical assessment of therapist burnout and impairment
Curt and Katie chat about the ethics of working while burned out. We look at what burnout is, how it develops and what the impacts are on clients and treatment outcomes. We also explore individual and systemic strategies to mitigate the risks of burnout. This is a law and ethics continuing education podcourse.
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode we talk about therapist burnout
So many therapists complain that they are burned out, but then continue to work. Is this ethical? In this continuing education podcourse, we explore what therapist burnout is, how therapists get burned out, potential impacts on the therapeutic work with clients, and when (and whether) it moves into the threshold of unethical behavior. We talk specifically about what makes a therapist impaired and how therapists can assess their own capacity to ethically care for their clients. We also look at how to respond to signs of burnout appropriately. Finally, we dig into systemic concerns that lead to burnout and who really is responsible for a therapist’s burnout and potential impairment.

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Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
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Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

What Therapists Need to Know About Menopause and Perimenopause: An interview with Dr. Sharon Malone, MD
Curt and Katie interview Dr. Sharon Malone, MD, author of Grown Woman Talk, about menopause and perimenopause. We explore the mental health impacts as well as the differential diagnosis when assessing a woman over 40 who might be experiencing this phase of life. We also talk about what good treatment can look like, including discussing the debate about hormone therapies.
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode, we talk about mental health impacts of (peri)menopause
After Katie was diagnosed with perimenopause, she began looking for sources of information on this seldom-talked-about phase of women’s lives. She found Dr. Sharon Malone’s work and was so excited that she agreed to come on to talk about menopause and perimenopause as well as her new book, Grown Woman Talk!
What is perimenopause and menopause?
·      Life stages for women in midlife and beyond
·      Hormonal shifts (not just dropping, but inconsistent through
·      Remodeling of the brain
·      Perimenopause is not short, it can be up to a decade
·      Too often women think they can power through, but it can and should be treated
What are the psychological impacts of perimenopause and menopause?
·      Feeling different or more emotional due to hormonal shifts during up to a decade prior to menopause (when hormones drop)
·      During perimenopause there is an uptick in depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, late onset ADHD, rage, brain fog
·      Perimenopausal mood and psychological changes may be better treated by hormones than by typical psychotropics
·      The differential diagnosis should start with ruling out perimenopause for any woman 40+
What does good perimenopause treatment look like?
·      The most effective treatment of perimenopausal symptoms is estrogen or menopause hormone treatment
·      Too often, women get individual symptoms treated by individual specialists rather than a more global impact of hormone imbalances
·      Hormone treatments can potentiate antidepressant (synergistic effect) for mood concerns
·      We also address the concerns related to hormone treatment (the study was misrepresented)
·      Women should be armed with the questions to ask and collaborate and agree on treatment with their doctors
Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined
Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Conscious and Trauma-Informed Leadership: An interview with Kelly L. Campbell
Curt and Katie interview Kelly Campbell about her work with leaders. We explore the ways in which trauma can impact leaders, their teams, and their organizations. We also look at what trauma-informed leadership coaching can look like, including overarching goals for trauma-informed and high conscious leadership.     
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode, we explore trauma-informed leadership
While writing her book, Kelly Campbell reached out to Curt and Katie to connect with a previous interviewee, Dr. Sidney Stone -Brown. We loved that she is talking about trauma-informed leadership, so we invited her to come on the podcast to talk with us about it.   
 What is trauma-informed leadership coaching?
·      Recognizing that past traumas can impact how someone leads a group
·      Identifying impacts of trauma on a client’s ability to perform the tasks of leadership
·      Working to shift dynamics within leaders (and their teams) based on impacts of past trauma
What are the common impacts of trauma on leaders and their leadership skills?
·      People-controlling behaviors (like micromanagement)
·      People-pleasing behaviors (like not holding people accountable)
·      Lack of trust
·      Impostor Syndrome
·      Attrition of employees
·      Lower profitability (as a lagging indicator)
What is the goal for trauma-informed leadership?
·      High conscious leaders
·      Vulnerability and trust
·      Healing the impacts of trauma on the workplace
·      Refraining from people-controlling or people-pleasing behaviors
·      Modeling a new way of being to shift the company culture
·      Self-advocacy, clear boundaries, and improved communication
Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined
Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/