The Radical Therapist

Lois Holzman, developmental psychologist and co-founder of the Eastside Institute, advocates social therapeutics and performance activism. She discusses play as essential adult development. She contrasts developmentalist, relational approaches with individualist, diagnostic models. She describes Vygotskian influences and improvisational practices for getting unstuck and creating new social possibilities.

David Nylund, a social work professor and narrative therapy clinician, challenges the dominance of emotion regulation as a clinical and cultural norm. He explores how regulation can shape acceptable selves and silence responses to structural harm. The conversation questions neutral techniques, reframes anger in context, and calls for transparent, politically informed clinical practice.

In this episode Chris launches Dangerous Stories Studio, a new constellation of offerings for people navigating transitions and building futures that don't fit existing maps. The work continues in new forms: • A new podcast exploring how stories shape what becomes possible (launching February 2026) • Quarterly Futuring Sprints, intensive workshops for people in liminal space (first sprint March 2026) • The Studio Membership—ongoing community and practice (opening March 2025) • The Futurecraft Mastermind—a three-month intensive for identity and practice redesign (applications open September 2026) Learn more and stay connected @dangerousstoriesstudio Let's build something dangerous.

In this episode of The Radical Therapist, Chris sits down with systemic therapists and thinkers Christopher Loh and Federico Albertini to explore how New Materialisms are reshaping the foundations of therapeutic practice. What happens when therapy loosens its grip on language as the primary site of meaning-making, and begins listening to the material, the more-than-human, the in-between? Drawing on philosophy, anthropology, physics, and the emerging edges of systemic psychotherapy, Christopher and Federico guide us through a relational world where matter is active, contexts are dynamic, and change emerges from constellations of forces, not just conversations. Together we explore how New Materialisms challenge the limits of the linguistic turn, illuminate the agency of bodies, environments, and objects, and invite therapists to rethink what “systemic” really means. A conversation for anyone curious about what emerges when we let therapy become a practice of attention to the material conditions of suffering, care, and transformation, and when we recognize that the future of the field may lie in the spaces, relations, and rhythms we’ve long overlooked.

In this conversation, Todd Disney, Psy.D., a narrative therapist and educator, shares his innovative approach to integrating poetics into therapy. He explores how language can disrupt ordinary narratives and evoke deeper client experiences. Todd emphasizes the ethical responsibility of therapists to listen and engage with clients' poetic expressions, moving away from traditional, therapist-centered methods. He also discusses the risks of aestheticizing suffering, highlighting the importance of honoring lived experiences while inviting poetic resonance.

In episode #138 of The Radical Therapist Podcast, Chris sits down with long-time narrative therapist Gene Combs for a conversation on the past, present, and future of narrative therapy. Gene shares his journey into narrative therapy, his thoughts on neoliberalism’s impact on mental health, and why honoring people as the first authors of their lives remains a central commitment in his work. We also dive into Gene’s recent writing/thinking on listening, what he calls “experiencing the storyteller’s experience” and explore how therapists can cultivate resonant presence in their conversations.   Chris Hoff PhD, LMFT We want to hear from you! YouTube: http://bit.ly/2i0DmaT Instagram: https://instagram.com/theradicaltherapist/ Email: theradicaltherapist@gmail.com

What if the act of reading could help rewrite the stories we live by? In this episode of The Radical Therapist, Dr. Chris Hoff sits down with bibliotherapist and narrative practitioner Mariana Casale to explore her new article, “Bibliotherapy as Narrative Practice: Reader Empowerment Through Re-Authoring Conversations.” Drawing on the work of Michael White, Alejandra Pizarnik, Foucault, and others, Casale makes a compelling case for reading literature not as passive consumption but as a co-authored, transformative act that can decenter dominant discourses, uncover “sparkling moments,” and help people reclaim agency over their life narratives. MarianaCasale.com   Chris Hoff PhD, LMFT We want to hear from you! YouTube: http://bit.ly/2i0DmaT Instagram: https://instagram.com/theradicaltherapist/ Email: theradicaltherapist@gmail.com

Dr. Makungu Akinyela, a licensed psychotherapist and scholar known for Testimony Therapy, joins to explore the intersection of therapy and resistance. He discusses how spirituality can serve as a form of political engagement and highlights the importance of community in healing. Akinyela emphasizes that mental health is inherently linked to power dynamics, arguing against the notion of neutrality in therapy. He advocates for cultural resistance, encourages listening to ancestral voices, and calls for new therapists to practice critical thinking and community connection.

In episode #135, host Chris Hoff sits down with contemplative scholar Brooke Lavelle and philosopher and activist Katrine Bregengaard to explore the emerging field of pluriversal practice—a response to the limitations of "one-world-worlding" that dominate our movements, institutions, and inner lives. Drawing on their co-authored essay (with Maha El-Sheikh) in The Arrow Journal and their work with the Courage of Care Coalition, Brooke and Katrine share how pluriversal frameworks invite us into deeper relationality, cognitive flexibility, and radical imagination. They unpack how dominant systems often reproduce themselves inside the very movements meant to resist them—and offer practices for undoing that replication through somatics, contemplative inquiry, and collective care. This is a rich conversation on healing, liberation, and building the worlds we dream of—worlds where many worlds fit. Courage of Care Coalition Liminal Lab by California Family Institute Chris' Substack 2nd Annual Contemporary Narrative Therapy Conference   Chris Hoff PhD, LMFT We want to hear from you! YouTube: http://bit.ly/2i0DmaT Instagram: https://instagram.com/theradicaltherapist/ Email: theradicaltherapist@gmail.com

In episode #134, host Chris Hoff sits down with therapist Brian Dean Williams to explore the complexities of masculinity, mental health, and contemporary dilemmas facing men. Drawing from multiple perspectives on patriarchy, Chris and Brian discuss: 🔹 The emotional and relational costs of traditional masculinity 🔹 Why men struggle with vulnerability, connection, and purpose 🔹 How therapists can help men navigate accountability and healing 🔹 The crisis of loneliness and the need for deeper male friendships 🔹 How expanding our ideas of masculinity can lead to more generative lives Whether you're working with men in therapy or reflecting on masculinity in your own life, this conversation is a must-listen.   Brian's Website: https://briandeanwilliams.com/   Chris Hoff PhD, LMFT We want to hear from you! YouTube: http://bit.ly/2i0DmaT Instagram: https://instagram.com/theradicaltherapist/ Email: theradicaltherapist@gmail.com