

Therapy Chat
Laura Reagan, LCSW-C
Laura Reagan, LCSW-C, Psychotherapist, Burnout Prevention Consultant and Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator interviews guests to discuss holistic and alternative approaches used in psychotherapy, counseling, coaching and healing sessions. Be a fly on the wall as therapists discuss the practice of psychotherapy and how they implement self care into their own lives to prevent therapist burnout. Conversations about mindfulness, self compassion, The Daring Way™, EMDR, art therapy, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, other somatic methods, trauma, parenting, attachment will get you thinking deeply about therapy and the universal experience of being human, with all the joy and pain that entails.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 15, 2017 • 39min
103: Psychotherapy Can Be Like Improv - Eating Disorders, Trauma & ACT
Welcome to episode 103 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. My guest this week is Valerie Martin (LCSW, RYT, CSAT Candidate) who is a psychotherapist and yoga instructor in Nashville, TN.Valerie focuses on a holistic treatment approach of mind + body integration and trauma resolution, using EMDR, ego state therapy, yoga (including trauma-sensitive yoga), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), and somatic (body-based) and experiential techniques. She is also a Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist (CSAT) Candidate. Valerie has spoken at numerous behavioral health conferences, primarily in the area of eating disorder treatment. She received a BS in Communications and MSSW in Clinical Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin.In addition to her private practice, Valerie is a trauma specialist at The Ranch residential treatment center, where she formerly worked as a primary therapist in the eating disorders program.ResourcesValerie Martin’s website: wonderwelltherapy.comEmily Sandoz ACT book https://www.amazon.com/Acceptance-Commitment-Therapy-Eating-Disorders/dp/162625396XEmily Sandoz book: Living With Your Body And Other Things You Hate https://www.amazon.com/Living-Your-Body-Other-Things/dp/1608821048/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=R7627YQ0JK908W4Y8862Support Therapy Chat and get a free month of Audible AND a free book by visiting: http://audibletrial.com/therapychat Click here to visit the iTunes store to download the Therapy Chat app and leave a rating and review! Click here to make a donation to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in support of Team Nick, the group I’m walking with.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sep 8, 2017 • 45min
102: Expressive Arts - Drama Therapy
In Episode 102, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Krista Verrastro, RDT, a Maryland drama therapist. Krista is one of only six hundred-plus drama therapists in the United States. She explains what drama therapy is, how she got involved with it, and how she uses it in her practice.Krista defines drama therapy and explains how it is active, experiential and integrative. She discusses the roles we play in our lives and how this fits closely with drama therapy. She notes some similarities between drama therapy and play therapy. She reminds us how experiential therapies like expressive and creative arts methods – including drama therapy – help us to connect with our emotions in a balanced way, so we can both feel and think at the same time.She teaches us how creative arts therapies can help externalize the emotions we feel so that we can feel safer to explore them. She also discusses how drama therapy can help heal trauma. She explains the connection between drama therapy and social justice and its roots in efforts to overcome oppression.Krista talks about psychodrama and drama therapy, how they’re similar and different. She gives examples of some techniques and exercises that may take place in a drama therapy session. She also relates the challenge of serving people who would benefit from drama therapy because the field is so little known.Visit Krista’s website to learn more about her work: http://www.kristaverrastro.com/Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking here.Visit Therapy Chat website at Http://therapychatpodcast.com and send host Laura Reagan a voice message letting her know what you think of Therapy Chat! Did you like this episode? Did you dislike it? Let her know!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sep 1, 2017 • 49min
101: Attachment Style & Relationships
Episode 101 of Therapy Chat is the last in the "Best Of Therapy Chat" segment. Our number one most popular episode is the interview with Stuart Fensterheim, the Couples Expert! Stuart talks about how our attachment style affects our adult relationships. Welcome to episode 62 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This is the third episode in the trauma and attachment series featuring Stuart Fensterheim, LCSW. Stuart is a clinical social worker in Scottsdale, Arizona, practicing with couples using Sue Johnson’s Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) which is an attachment-based couples therapy method. In the episode, Stuart talks about how he works on making connections with couples and how our childhood attachment affects the way we show up in relationships as adults. He also touches upon John Bowlby's Attachment Theory, which focuses on your relationship with your primary caretaker and how it influences everything through your life. To make sense of this theory, he talks further about the relationship young babies have with their caretaker, avoiding failure to thrive and how the needs of a young baby to experience touch and closeness, continue with us throughout our adult life.Resourceshttp://www.thecouplesexpertscottsdale.comhttp://www.thecouplesexpertscottsdale.com/podcastshttp://www.iceeft.comhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.htmlThank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes! You can get a free month of TherapyNotes plus 10% off for a year using the code CHAT17 ! Visit https://therapynotes.com to sign up! Or just click here to get the 10% discount for 12 months!Visit Therapy Chat website at Http://therapychatpodcast.com and send host Laura Reagan a voice message letting her know what you think of Therapy Chat! Did you like this episode? Did you dislike it? Let her know!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Aug 30, 2017 • 42min
100: Audience Participation & Themes from First 100 Episodes
Welcome to episode 100 (woohoo!) of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. In this episode, we hear from listeners about what they enjoy about the podcast, favorite episodes and more.We also look at the overarching themes that have developed since the start of the podcast that includes:Parenting & RelationshipsMindfulnessSelf-CarePerfectionism and Self-CompassionTrauma and Sexual AssaultTrauma and AttachmentExperiential TherapiesInner KnowingThank you to each and every one of you that has supported the podcast for the past two years, I’m truly grateful to have you on this journey with me.Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can hear every episode of Therapy Chat at: Http://therapychatpodcast.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Aug 18, 2017 • 1h 19min
99: The Food-Mood Connection
Best of Therapy Chat! Today's interview with author Dr. Leslie Korn, who is a Harvard-trained body-oriented psychotherapist who has worked for four decades to help people understand the connection between physical and emotional health, is the 2nd most popular episode of the first 100! Leslie spoke with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C all the way from Mexico, where she lives and works.Leslie talks about how she got started doing body-oriented psychotherapy, what she learned in the jungle, and how nutrition can help our mental health. She discusses the connection between trauma and physical and mental health; self care; and her book "Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health". She talks about the "right diet" for everyone, explaining that fat is actually our friend! She explains that she prefers to take the ideology out of nutrition, stating that clinicians can use the science and the art of nutrition to help clients. Leslie discusses the idea of the gut as the second brain.Leslie answers the question Laura has been wondering about for years. What is the connection between childhood trauma and ACES and long term physical health problems? She clearly explains this for clinicians to understand and explain to clients. And any survivor of childhood trauma who is listening will surely feel empowered to understand this connection from listening to Leslie's very clear explanation.Finally, Leslie discusses pharmaceuticals "du jour" and diagnoses "du jour" and how the food-mood connection can be in direct conflict with traditional Western ideas about medicine and health. And she explains how the gall bladder plays a role in mental health, and how social justice fits in. In her work with indigenous groups and in the US she has observed the effects of the loss of traditional diets and culture on physical and mental health. And she points out that blood sugar can play a very significant role in mental health, and explains how clinicians can help clients look at this differently.Dr. Leslie Korn teaches therapists nationally in the US through PESI on multicultural as well as offering supervision and working with clients in Mexico. Her most recent book is Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health, published by Norton; and Rhythms of Recovery: Trauma, Nature and the Body. Her new book will be published in early 2017. Here's where you can find more of what Dr. Leslie Korn is doing (hint - her new book is out now!):www.drlesliekorn.comThank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please visit iTunes to subscribe and leave a rating and review! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Aug 11, 2017 • 56min
98: Traumatic Stress & Your Health
Internationally known physician Dr. Gabor Maté joined host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C on this episode of Therapy Chat to help listeners understand why it is important to address trauma occurring in childhood, even during pregnancy. Dr. Maté explains that the effects of trauma on our health endure over a lifetime and even in our genetic code passed on to future generations of our families. He describes how our physical health, mental health and emotional wellbeing are affected by our exposure to childhood trauma and the link between trauma and all kinds of addictions. You'll be fascinated at this expert's explanation of the mind-body connection! Episode 98 is the 3rd most popular episode of Therapy Chat, which is celebrating its 2nd birthday in mid-August, 2017 and its 100th episode at the same time! This encore episode was originally released in April, 2017. Tune in to hear Laura Reagan's interview with Dr. Gabor Maté, to learn more about the Therapy Chat app, and to get the details on two communities Laura is creating for trauma therapists. And please support our sponsor, TherapyNotes! You can save 10% for 12 months on a subscription to TherapyNotes using the code "CHAT17" or by clicking here! Welcome to episode 79 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week's episode features Dr. Gabor Maté. Dr. Maté is the co-founder of Compassion for Addiction, a new non-profit that focuses on addiction. He is also an advisor of Drugs over Dinner.As an author, Dr. Maté has written several bestselling books including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction; When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress; and Scattered Minds: A New Look at the Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder, and co-authored Hold on to Your Kids. His works have been published internationally in twenty languages.In the fall of 2017, Dr. Maté will be launching a brand new website offering online courses in his various areas of expertise. The first course will be a training program for health professionals working with people with addiction.Dr. Maté explains the connection between childhood traumatic stress at any point in development - even in utero - and mental and physical health and well-being. Beyond a discussion of ACES, he describes the causes of illness and how trauma fits in. Did you know that ADD/ADHD, MS, Prostate cancer, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and many other diseases, as well as addictions of all kinds are linked to trauma? Gabor's books, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Scattered, and When the Body Says No go into depth with the research to support his assertions.Resourceshttps://drgabormate.comhttps://www.compassion4addiction.orghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66cYcSak6nE (Ted Talk)Here’s a link to the article Dr. Maté mentioned: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/2/e460.shortThank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes! You can get a free month and save 10% for 12 months on a subscription to TherapyNotes using the code "CHAT17" or by clicking here!To request to join the Trauma Therapists Unite free Facebook community, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1774552256196397/ and read the instructions. It's a 2 step process! If you're interested in the Trauma Therapist Community online clinical consultation groups, you can go here to get all the details and register: http://laurareaganlcswc.com/joinThank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. Get the app here!Visit Therapy Chat website at Http://therapychatpodcast.com and send host Laura Reagan a voice message letting her know what you think of Therapy Chat! Did you like this episode? Did you dislike it? Let her know!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Aug 4, 2017 • 60min
97: Core Emotions & Change Triangle
This month we are celebrating Therapy Chat! Therapy Chat's 2nd birthday is coming up this month, we recently achieved our first month of 50,000 downloads, and the 100th episode is coming out at the end of this month! Listen to my interview with Hilary Jacobs Hendel, which was the 4th most popular episode overall since Therapy Chat started! She talks about accessing core emotions in psychotherapy and her upcoming book, It's Not Always Depression: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to your Authentic Self. She also talks about her work consulting on the AMC TV show, Mad Men, one of Laura's favorites for its accurate depiction of someone who is tortured by his past and doesn't realize what is affecting him. Visit Hilary's website for all the latest details on what she's up to: https://www.hilaryjacobshendel.com/ Also, go to https://therapychatpodcast.com to leave a message using Speakpipe. Tell Laura which episode is your favorite and why. Your message may be used in the upcoming 100th episode celebration later in August! To get the details about the Authentic Self Retreat and the Authentic Therapist Retreat co-hosted by Laura Reagan and Charlotte Hiler Easley, visit: https://laurareaganlcswc.com/retreats-1 Thanks for your support! Therapy Chat wouldn't be what it is without you!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Jul 28, 2017 • 40min
96: Expressive Arts: Music Therapy
Welcome to episode 96 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. My guest this week is Maya Benattar. Maya is a music psychotherapist, but you might also call her a mindfulness mentor, a creativity coach, or a big fan of slowing down. Maya helps women who long to experience true clarity and confidence in themselves and their lives, but are held back by anxiety or fear. She supports them in slowing down and exploring their lives creatively so they can make significant changes and discover the strong, confident woman they can be. She knows from her own life and many years of helping other women that putting yourself first and asking for help can kick up a lot of fear and shame – but she strongly believes that slowing down and looking inside can help you become strong, passionate, sensitive, and brave. As a trained and experienced therapist she has a Masters degree from NYU and is an NYS licensed psychotherapist), she knows a lot about how to slow down your hectic life, explore your dreams and thoughts through mindfulness, play and more (adults need to play too!), and develop new ways of coping creatively. Resources http://mayabenattar.com Please support our sponsor, TherapyNotes! You can save 10% for 12 months on TherapyNotes by using the code: CHAT17 or clicking here!Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. Http://therapychatpodcast.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Jul 20, 2017 • 48min
95: Compulsive Sexual Behaviour, Attachment & Shame
Welcome to episode 95 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. My guest this week is Duane Osterlind.As co-founder of NOVUS Mindful Life Institute, Duane Osterlind’s vision is to provide comprehensive care for individuals struggling with process addictions in the utmost confidential, comprehensive and caring environment to ensure clients feel safe and accepted with anticipation that recovery is possible.Duane has over eight years of experience as a therapist helping individuals find hope and healing. He received his Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Long Beach. He has also trained with Patrick Carnes, P.hD., a leading expert in the treatment of sexual addiction issues and author of “Out of the Shadows”. He is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), and the Society of Sexual Health (SASH). MFT#44567Duane’s clinical focus is on treating individuals and couples struggling with process addictions using a mindfulness and task centered approach. He facilitates the Men’s Sexual Addiction Process Group and well as a DBT group for individuals struggling with anxiety and depression.Resourceshttp://theaddictedmind.comThank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. Http://therapychatpodcast.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Jul 14, 2017 • 44min
94: Attachment, Meditation, Yoga & Compassion In Trauma Therapy
Welcome to episode 94 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. My guest this week is Deirdre Fay, MSW, LICSW, who integrates trauma and attachment theory with yoga and meditation in embodiment. She is also the founder of the Becoming Safely Embodied Skills and maintains a private practice in Arlington, MA.The work she does arises out of her life. What she knows is grounded in her own healing as well as rigorous training as a psychotherapist looking for answers and ways to help others navigate the often-difficult terrain of healing trauma and attachment wounds.Deirdre knows what it’s like to make that journey. She did it dealing with her own history of trauma and as she searched for answers to relational and attachment issues. During the course of her life, she was lucky to have lived for six years in a spiritual community [Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health] which surrounded her with a nurturing environment. That experience grounded Deirdre in her commitment to finding ways to help other people.The Becoming Safely Embodied Skills were born during those years and came to fruition as she worked with trauma survivors in Boston both in her private practice and in hospital settings. She wanted to develop easy to apply take home skills that people could use when they weren’t in therapy.Resourceshttps://dfay.comRegister for Equine/Daring Way™ Retreats here: https://www.laurareaganlcswc.com/retreats-1/Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. Http://therapychatpodcast.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands


