Talking Therapy Podcast

RJ and John sit down with "Rebecca." Rebecca is the pseudonym of a new marriage and family therapy student. She is a young woman who has decided to embark on her education and training in psychology and counseling. This will be a multi-part series where we touch base with Rebecca time to time throughout her education and training. RJ and John both listen to her experience and offer advice.

The world with Coronavirus has posed challenges for therapists everywhere. With significant parts of the country in extensive lockdown many of us have switched our entire practices to an online format. Will this change therapy forever or is this just a slight adjustment - or are we all just suffering from Adjustment Disorder? RJ and John practice social distancing by logging on with psychiatrist Dr. Amir Ettekal to talk about what it's like to do therapy and be with clients in a virtual space.

John and RJ sit down to talk with one of the lions of the field of psychotherapy, Dr. Moe Gelbart. An administrator, therapist and businessman, Dr. Gelbart recounts a long and successful career in psychotherapy and gives the boys insight into how he's helped people and made a good living in psychotherapy. This episode is exclusively sponsored by Ben Caldwell Labs, creating a more empowered, more effective generation of psychotherapists. Check them out at www.bencaldwelllabs.com.

Lesli Johnson, MFT joins us to discuss clinical issues around adoption. She brings her own personal perspective as someone who is adopted as well as a caring and passionate clinical approach to this subject. She discusses a concept known as the Ghost Kingdom and the challenges and trauma adoptees and adoptive parents face. Not many people specialize in this work but it touches almost everyone - therapist or not. Definitely a great listen. This episode is exclusively sponsored by Ben Caldwell Labs, creating a more effective, more empowered generation of psychotherapists. Check them out at www.bencaldwelllabs.com

Sara Schulting-Kranz joins us to talk about her transformation from married mother of three, who one day discovered "my husband is gay," to life coach helping and leading people on journeys of their own transformation in the Grand Canyon and in the Sierras. Sara talks about the power of nature to heal and the amazing life changes she and her clients have gone through on such incredible treks. She also talks about what it was like to help blind para-olympian Shawn Cheshire hike the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim. Check her out at www.liveboldlycoaching.com. This episode is sponsored by Ben Caldwell Labs. Ben Caldwell labs provides exam prep, continuing education, advocacy and more. Ben Caldwell labs is building a more empowered, more effective generation of psychotherapists. Check them out at www.bencaldwelllabs.com

Dr. Nazanin Moali, a licensed psychologist from Torrance, CA joins us to discuss two of her specialties, eating disorders in men and sex therapy. Dr. Moali host of the podcast, Sexology, brings a unique perspective to her work that she shares with John and RJ. This episode is sponsored by Ben Caldwell Labs at BenCaldwelllabs.com, creating a more empowered, more effective generation of psychotherapists.

Drs. Paul and Nancy Aikin join us to talk about their workshop for parents and teens called "Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go". Based on Dr. Sue Johnson's Hold Me Tight workshop, and adapted for parents and teens, this group approaches parents and teens from an attachment standpoint and helps them connect and hear each other in ways many of them never imagined possible. This workshop is available as a curriculum for therapists to use and as part of this podcast they are offering a 5% discount to a training in Los Angeles on January 19 and 20, 2018 on conducting this workshop. Go to www.laceft.org and use promo code "talkingtherapy" (with no space).

Dr. Steven Lawrence joins us to discuss what happens when doctors are more focused on medication than on the actual patient. Taking a very patient-centered approach Dr. Lawrence talks about what he calls "Psychotropic Blindness" and what happens when psychiatrists see the side effects of certain medications in children and adolescents as emerging problems that require treatment. Dr. Lawrence highlights medications such as anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and stimulant medication used for ADHD.

How do you keep a family together even as it's coming apart? How do you help protect children from the trauma of a nasty divorce? Divorce mediator Barry Davis sits down with us to talk about an alternative to expensive, divisive and often traumatic litigated divorces. His approach is one that allows families to often make the best of what can be a very, very bad situation.

Jason Gipstein, MFT sits down with us to talk about writing a book on what he calls self communion. Jason talks about how he developed this method of psychotherapy and how it can help people. Not only does he discuss it's application to issues like anxiety and depression he also talks about how it can be used to help people move forward and continue to grow.

We know therapy works, but as it turns out fewer people are using it. What are the reasons for this and can an individual therapist make a living in this otherwise rewarding field? Is it possible to turn things around? Dr. Benjamin Caldwell sits down with us to talk about his book “Saving Psychotherapy.” He has a plan and some straightforward advice about how you can take action now to help save psychotherapy.

Dr. Jacob Insler joins us to talk about sports and perfomance psychology. Dr. Inlser works with athletes to help them perform better or to overcome obstacles in their game.

John and RJ discuss what scares us and why we love Halloween so much.