The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy
The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide is a podcast for therapists who want to navigate the modern landscape of private practice, personal branding, and social media. Hosts Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy discuss how to be authentic, purposeful, and connected as a therapist in today's world. They cover topics like entrepreneurship, social activism, and mental health stigma, offering support for clinicians as whole people and business owners.
Episodes
Private Practice Has Changed. Now What? How Therapists Can Find Clients and Stay Profitable - An Interview with Dr. Ajita Robinson, LCPC
Private Practice Has Changed. Now What? How Therapists Can Find Clients and Stay Profitable - An Interview with Dr. Ajita Robinson, LCPC
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT talk with Dr. Ajita Robinson, LCPC, on how private practice has changed and how therapists can find clients and stay profitable.
Caseloads are thinning, insurance panels and directories send fewer referrals, and ventur
Skill Issue or Systemic Reality? Systems, Platforms, and What Therapists Are Still Responsible For
Skill Issue or Systemic Reality? Systems, Platforms, and What Therapists Are Still Responsible For
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT on how systems shape private practice, therapy platforms, insurance reimbursement, burnout, and what therapists are still responsible for.
A payer cuts reimbursement by 12 percent and adds a six page renewal form. A platform runs your credentialing, your
Knowing When They're Ready: Navigating the Shift from Stabilization to Deeper Work in Psychotherapy
Knowing When They're Ready: Navigating the Shift from Stabilization to Deeper Work in Psychotherapy
Trauma readiness in DBT and EMDR: how to tell when a client is ready to move from stabilization into deeper work.
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT walk through the judgment call at the center of trauma treatment, which is knowing when a client has the behavioral and autonomic stability
Your Client Is Not a Category: Binary Thinking, Gender Trauma, and Presence as a Clinical Skill - An Interview with Alex Iantaffi
Your Client Is Not a Category: Binary Thinking, Gender Trauma, and Presence as a Clinical Skill - An Interview with Alex Iantaffi
Alex Iantaffi, Ph.D., LMFT, author of Gender Trauma, on binary thinking, gender trauma, and presence as a clinical skill.
Curt and Katie talk with Alex Iantaffi about why binary thinking is a clinical problem before it is a political one. Therapists are trained to s
Just a Hypothesis: Case Formulation and Treatment Planning for Real-World Therapy - An Interview with Nikki Rubin, PsyD
Just a Hypothesis: Case Formulation and Treatment Planning for Real-World Therapy - An Interview with Nikki Rubin, PsyD
Nikki Rubin, PsyD on behavioral case formulation, treatment planning, and clinical decision-making for therapists.
Curt and Katie talk with Nikki Rubin, PsyD, licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder and COO of MindScience Collective, about what case formulation looks li
What This Work Asks of Therapists: Integration, Not Knowing, and the Capacity to Stay - An Interview with Juliane Taylor Shore, LMFT, LPC, SEP
What This Work Asks of Therapists: Integration, Not Knowing, and the Capacity to Stay - An Interview with Juliane Taylor Shore, LMFT, LPC, SEP
Juliane Taylor Shore, LMFT, LPC, SEP, on therapist integration, not knowing, and the capacity to stay in the room.
Curt and Katie talk with Juliane Taylor Shore, LMFT, LPC, SEP, about what determines how much a therapist can do in session. Her answer is
The Clinical Depth Principle: Why Therapy Cannot Be Reduced to Tools, Hacks, and Sound Bites
The Clinical Depth Principle: Why Therapy Cannot Be Reduced to Tools, Hacks, and Sound Bites
Curt and Katie on the clinical depth principle: case conceptualization, pacing, and the limits of coping skills.
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT take on this month's modern therapist principle, clinical depth over simplification, and the two extremes the profession keeps swinging between. On
Burnout Before Licensure: Why Prelicensed Therapist Exhaustion Is a Supervision Problem, Not a Time Management Problem
Burnout Before Licensure: Why Prelicensed Therapist Exhaustion Is a Supervision Problem, Not a Time Management Problem
A continuing education episode on prelicensed therapist burnout, clinical supervision, and why early career exhaustion is a systemic problem rather than a time management one.
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT examine why prelicensed clinicians are entering the mental
You Can't Pizza Party Your Way Out of Burnout: Moral Injury, Compassion Fatigue, and Treating Healthcare Workers - An Interview with Kimberly Johnson, PhD, LMHCD, and Lucy Li, MD
You Can't Pizza Party Your Way Out of Burnout: Moral Injury, Compassion Fatigue, and Treating Healthcare Workers - An Interview with Kimberly Johnson, PhD, LMHCD, and Lucy Li, MD
Kimberly Johnson, PhD, and Lucy Li, MD, of the Emotional PPE Project on healthcare worker mental health and moral injury.
Curt and Katie talk with Kimberly Johnson, PhD, LMHCD, a counselor educator at Touro Universi
Rest By Force or By Choice: Burnout, Self-Care, and Sustainable Practice for Therapists - An Interview with Cecily Moore, PhD
Rest, By Force or By Choice: Burnout, Self-Care, and Sustainable Practice for Therapists - An Interview with Cecily Moore, PhD
Dr. Cecily Moore on burnout, rest as a clinical intervention, and unlearning the Strong Black Woman Narrative.
Curt and Katie talk with Dr. Cecily Moore, a licensed therapist, counselor educator, and clinical supervisor, about why the expectation of endless strength an
Suffering Is Collective, and So Is Healing: Belonging, Ritual, and Meaning in Uncertain Times - An Interview with Suzan Song, MD
Suffering Is Collective, and So Is Healing: Belonging, Ritual, and Meaning in Uncertain Times - An Interview with Suzan Song, MD
Suzan Song, MD, psychiatrist and medical anthropologist, on why suffering is collective and healing comes through belonging, ritual, and meaning.
Curt and Katie talk with Suzan Song, MD about why the exhaustion so many therapists and clients are carrying right now is
Sustainability Is a Fundamental Responsibility: Therapist Burnout, Moral Injury, and the Systems We Practice Within
Sustainability Is a Fundamental Responsibility: Therapist Burnout, Moral Injury, and the Systems We Practice Within
Therapist burnout, sustainability, and moral injury, and why fixing burnout can't land on individual clinicians alone.
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT kick off a series of discussions on modern therapist principles with the one that shapes almost everything they cover:
What It Means to Be a Modern Therapist: The Principles That Guide Our Work
What It Means to Be a Modern Therapist: The Principles That Guide Our Work
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT, on the principles that define a sustainable, ethical, modern therapy practice.
After nearly nine years and almost 500 episodes, Curt and Katie step back to name what the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide actually stands for. This episode lays out the guiding principles behin
Are We Really Better at Empathy Than the Bots? What the Research Says About AI in Therapy
Are We Really Better at Empathy Than the Bots? What the Research Says About AI in Therapy
AI in therapy, therapy chatbots, and AI empathy: what the latest research actually says, and what it means for your clinical work.
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT close out AI month by setting the hot takes aside and looking at what the research actually says about AI in mental health. They walk
How AI Tools for Therapists Are Built: Trust, Data Privacy, and Choosing What to Adopt - An Interview with Ian Knox and Megan Toomey of SimplePractice
How AI Tools for Therapists Are Built: Trust, Data Privacy, and Choosing What to Adopt - An Interview with Ian Knox and Megan Toomey
Ian Knox and Megan Toomey of SimplePractice take therapists behind the scenes of how AI tools for mental health are actually built, trained, and kept secure.
We're in the middle of AI month, and Curt and Katie wanted to move past the buzzwords and talk with the peo
When Clients Bring AI to Therapy: Working with ChatGPT, Sycophancy, and the New Third Wheel in the Room
When Clients Bring AI to Therapy: Working with ChatGPT, Sycophancy, and the New Third Wheel in the Room
Clients are bringing AI into therapy, from ChatGPT chat logs handed over as homework to AI companions that never disagree, and therapists need a clinical response.
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT dig into what happens when clients bring their own AI into the therapy room. The profe
Why AI Mental Health Chatbots Fail When It Matters Most: The Hidden Vulnerabilities Stress-Testing Reveals – An Interview with Shirali and Arul Nigam of Circuit Breaker Labs
Why AI Mental Health Chatbots Fail When It Matters Most: The Hidden Vulnerabilities Stress-Testing Reveals - An Interview with Shirali and Arul Nigam of Circuit Breaker Labs
Shirali and Arul Nigam of Circuit Breaker Labs on why AI mental health chatbots fail, how stress-testing exposes their hidden vulnerabilities, and what therapists need to know.
Curt and Katie talk with Shirali and Arul Nigam
AI Ethics Codes for Therapists: What CAMFT, APA, NASW, and AAMFT Now Require
AI Ethics Codes for Therapists: What CAMFT, APA, NASW, and AAMFT Now Require
How the CAMFT, APA, NASW, and AAMFT ethics codes now regulate AI in therapy: a CE podcourse on competence, informed consent, data privacy, bias, and human accountability.
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT, walk through the recent artificial intelligence updates to the major mental health ethics codes. Centering
Supporting Conversion Therapy Survivors After Chiles v. Salazar: SOGIECE, Clinical Care, and Community Response – An Interview with Samuel Nieves
Supporting Conversion Therapy Survivors After Chiles v. Salazar: SOGIECE, Clinical Care, and Community Response - An Interview with Samuel Nieves
Samuel Nieves of the Conversion Therapy Survivor Network on supporting conversion therapy survivors, recognizing SOGIECE, and clinical care after Chiles v. Salazar.
Curt and Katie welcome back Samuel Nieves, a conversion therapy survivor and board memb
Should Conversion Therapy Be Protected Speech? What Chiles v. Salazar Means for Conversion Therapy Bans and the Future of the Profession
Should Conversion Therapy Be Protected Speech? What Chiles v. Salazar Means for Conversion Therapy Bans and the Future of the Profession
In Chiles v. Salazar, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 that a therapist's talk therapy is protected speech, putting state conversion therapy bans at risk.
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT break down what the March 31, 2026 decision actually says, wha
Good Enough, Safe Enough: Affirming LGBTQ+ Clients When You're Not a Specialist
Good Enough, Safe Enough: Affirming LGBTQ+ Clients When You're Not a Specialist
Affirming LGBTQ+ clients when you are not a specialist: Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT on being a good enough, safe enough therapist when you cannot refer out.
Curt and Katie take on a question therapists often avoid: what do you do when an LGBTQ+ client needs care, you are not a specialist, and referri
Allyship Is Awkward: How Therapists Can Keep Showing Up Anyway
Allyship Is Awkward: How Therapists Can Keep Showing Up Anyway
What if the awkwardness of ally work is not a sign you are doing it wrong, but the actual work?
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT explore what it looks like to do ally work as a therapist when you hold majority identities the people around you do not share. They move across three zones where this shows up: with clients in th
The Seven Stages of Queer Love: Therapy with Queer Couples, Queer Sex, and the Developmental Model - An Interview with Tom Bruett, LMFT
The Seven Stages of Queer Love: Therapy with Queer Couples, Queer Sex, and the Developmental Model - An Interview with Tom Bruett, LMFT
Tom Bruett, LMFT on the seven stages of queer relationship development, the Developmental Model, queer couples therapy, and queer sex.
Curt and Katie talk with Tom Bruett, LMFT, founder of the Queer Relationship Institute, about what therapists most often ge
Modern Therapist's Consumer Guide: Paubox. HIPAA Compliant Email, Secure Communication, and Practice Privacy. An Interview with Hoala Greevy, Founder and CEO of Paubox
Modern Therapist's Consumer Guide: Paubox. HIPAA Compliant Email, Secure Communication, and Practice Privacy. An Interview with Hoala Greevy, Founder and CEO of Paubox
Curt and Katie talk with Hoala Greevy, Founder and CEO of Paubox, about what HIPAA compliant email actually requires, where standard Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Business Associate Agreements leave gaps, and why most secure-p
Before You Refer to the Hospital: De-Escalation, Safety Planning, and Wraparound Care for Teens in Crisis
Before You Refer to the Hospital: De-Escalation, Safety Planning, and Wraparound Care for Teens in Crisis
When a suicidal teen is in crisis, is the hospital really the safest call? What outpatient therapists need to know.
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, leads this episode from his work running a comprehensive DBT private practice in Los Angeles that specializes in higher-acuity adolescent cases, including t
Inside the Troubled Teen Industry: Wilderness Therapy, Residential Treatment, and the Harm Done to Kids – An Interview with Chelsea Maldonado and Dr. Will Dobud
Inside the Troubled Teen Industry: Wilderness Therapy, Residential Treatment, and the Harm Done to Kids – An Interview with
Chelsea Maldonado and Dr. Will Dobud
Dr. Will Dobud and survivor advocate Chelsea Maldonado on wilderness therapy, residential treatment, institutional abuse, and what therapists need to know to support troubled teen industry survivors.
Curt and Katie talk with Dr. Will D
Why Therapists Stop Working with Kids and What It Takes to Stay: Sustainability, Boundaries, and Pivots for the Long Haul
Why Therapists Stop Working with Kids and What It Takes to Stay: Sustainability, Boundaries, and Pivots for the Long Haul
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT push back on the field's quiet stereotype that working with kids is the "starter home" of private practice, the place clinicians put in time before graduating to a cardigan and a wing-back chair. Working with kids and teens is not ent
When Good Moms Feel Bad: Supporting Mothers in Therapy with IFS and the Mom Parts Method – An Interview with Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT
When Good Moms Feel Bad: Supporting Mothers in Therapy with IFS and the Mom Parts Method – An Interview with Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT
Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT, creator of the Mom Parts Method, on IFS, maternal mental health, mom shame, and why "bad mom" parts are protectors, not problems.
Curt and Katie talk with Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT about what therapists often miss when working with m
Why Fixing Teens Doesn’t Work and What Actually Helps Youth Mental Health: An Interview with Dr. Will Dobud
Why Fixing Teens Doesn’t Work and What Actually Helps Youth Mental Health: An Interview with Dr. Will Dobud
Curt and Katie talk with Dr. Will Dobud about what therapists often get wrong when working with teens, why adolescent behavior is so often overpathologized, and how connection, play, risk, and mastery can better support youth mental health. They also explore the so-called youth mental healt
The Burden of Potential: Therapy for Gifted Adults Navigating Burnout, Identity, and 2e Considerations
The Burden of Potential: Therapy for Gifted Adults Navigating Burnout, Identity, and 2e Considerations
Gifted adults do not usually come to therapy naming giftedness as the issue. More often, they present with burnout, anxiety, depression, underperformance, identity confusion, relationship strain, or existential distress. In this continuing education episode, Katie Vernoy and Curt Widhalm explore
How Therapists Can Help Clients With IBS, Chronic Nausea, and Gut-Brain Disorders: An Interview with Dr. Ali Navidi
How Therapists Can Help Clients With IBS, Chronic Nausea, and Gut-Brain Disorders: An Interview with Dr. Ali Navidi, PsyD
Curt and Katie talk with Dr. Ali Navidi, PsyD about disorders of gut-brain interaction, including IBS, chronic nausea, and other GI conditions that therapists may see more often than they realize. They explore how the gut-brain axis works, which clients may be more likely to s
What Therapists Need to Know About Neurodivergent Clients and Families: An Interview with David Smith, LCSW
What Therapists Need to Know About Neurodivergent Clients and Families: An Interview with David Smith, LCSW
Curt and Katie talk with David Smith about neurodiversity-affirming therapy, autism, ADHD, PDA, family systems, and burnout for neurodivergent therapists. David shares both clinical expertise and lived experience as an autistic therapist, offering practical guidance for working more effecti
How Clients Experience Therapy: From First Inquiry to the Waiting Room: An Interview with Michael Ashford
How Clients Experience Therapy: From First Inquiry to the Waiting Room: An Interview with Michael Ashford
Curt and Katie talk with Michael Ashford about how clients experience therapy before the clinical work even begins. They explore what therapists can learn from customer service, communication, and marketing to create a smoother, more supportive experience from first inquiry through intake, on
Adapting EMDR for Neurodivergent Clients: Parts Work, Attunement, and Affirming Trauma Therapy, An Interview with Cathy Hanville and Christine MacInnis
Adapting EMDR for Neurodivergent Clients: Parts Work, Attunement, and Affirming Trauma Therapy, An Interview with Cathy Hanville and Christine MacInnis
Curt and Katie talk with Cathy Hanville and Christine MacInnis about how to adapt EMDR for autistic and ADHD clients with more flexibility, safety, and affirming care. They explore why standard protocols can miss important client needs, how parts
When Clients Reject Your Diagnosis: How to Handle Pushback Without Losing the Therapeutic Alliance
When Clients Reject Your Diagnosis: How to Handle Pushback Without Losing the Therapeutic Alliance
What do you do when your client doesn’t agree with your diagnosis?
Whether it’s a parent resisting an autism or ADHD diagnosis, a client attached to a different label, or someone overwhelmed by what a diagnosis means for their identity, these conversations can feel high-stakes.
In this episode, Cu
The Lasting Harm of Conversion Therapy: An Interview with Samuel Nieves
The Lasting Harm of Conversion Therapy: An Interview with Samuel Nieves
This interview was recorded in November 2025 in anticipation of the Supreme Court ruling in Chiles v. Salazar and released afterward. Rather than focusing on the legal details of the decision, Curt and Katie talk with Samuel Nieves about the harms of conversion therapy, how change efforts can be disguised as therapy, and what
The Private Practice Pivot: How Therapists Are Adapting to Platforms, Agency Work, and the Changing Therapy Economy
The Private Practice Pivot: How Therapists Are Adapting to Platforms, Agency Work, and the Changing Therapy Economy
Are therapists leaving private practice - or simply adapting to a changing mental health economy?
Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT discuss a growing shift across the profession as therapists pivot between private practice, agency jobs, group practices, and therapy platfor
Is Independent Private Practice Sustainable? Data on Caseloads, Insurance & Income – An Interview with Lindsay Oberleitner, PhD
Is Independent Private Practice Sustainable? Data on Caseloads, Insurance & Income
Is independent private practice still financially sustainable?
Curt and Katie sit down with Lindsay Oberleitner, PhD, Director of Clinical Strategy at SimplePractice, to examine national data on caseload trends, insurance participation, income realities, and therapist burnout. Drawing from Lindsay's research at Si
Why You’re Exhausted in Private Practice: The Hidden Work Behind the Client Hour
Why You’re Exhausted in Private Practice: The Hidden Work Behind the Client Hour
Exhausted in private practice - even with a “manageable” caseload?
Seeing 20-25 clients a week does not mean you’re working 20-25 hours. Every client hour includes hidden administrative work, financial decisions, emotional labor, and CEO-level responsibility.
In this host-led episode, Curt and Katie break down why
Burnout Recovery in a Failing System: ACT, Moral Injury & Reclaiming Agency – An Interview with Shaina Siber, LCSW
Burnout Recovery in a Failing System – An Interview with Shaina Siber, LCSW
Therapists are navigating hiring freezes, wage stagnation, insurance instability, identity-level threats, and mounting systemic uncertainty — all while supporting clients experiencing the same instability. What happens when burnout isn’t just about workload, but about working inside a system that feels like it’s failing?
Should Texas Therapists Stop Treating Kids? Texas SB14, Gender-Affirming Care, and the Risks for Therapists
Should Texas Therapists Stop Treating Kids? Texas SB14, Gender-Affirming Care, and the Risks for Therapists
In this episode of the Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy discuss a new interpretation of Texas SB14 that may place therapists at risk for providing gender-affirming care to trans youth. They explore how a recent opinion from the Texas Attorney General could br
The Licensing Racket: Therapist Licensing, Discipline, and Access to Care – An Interview with Rebecca Haw Allensworth
The Licensing Racket: Therapist Licensing, Discipline, and Access to Care – An Interview with Rebecca Haw Allensworth
Who does licensing protect - the public or the profession?
Curt and Katie talk with Rebecca Haw Allensworth, law professor and author of The Licensing Racket, about how professional licensing boards actually function, and what that means for therapists, discipline, and access to
Training Therapists in the Age of AI: Preventing Deskilling and Teaching Clinical Judgment
Training Therapists in the Age of AI: Preventing Deskilling and Teaching Clinical Judgment
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in mental health care, therapists, supervisors, and educators face a critical responsibility: integrating AI tools without eroding clinical judgment, reasoning, and skill development.
In this continuing education episode of the Modern Therapist’s Sur
Why Food Anxiety Is Not Always About Dieting: Understanding ARFID and Intuitive Eating An interview with Robyn L. Goldberg, RDN, CEDS-C
Why Food Anxiety Is Not Always About Dieting: Understanding ARFID and Intuitive Eating - An interview with Robyn L. Goldberg, RDN, CEDS-C
Diet culture often dominates conversations about eating disorders, but not all struggles with food are driven by weight, body image, or dieting. In this episode, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk with registered dietitian nutritionist and certified eating diso
The Epstein Files Fallout: Navigating Client Trauma, Justice Fatigue, and Clinical Responsibility
The Epstein Files Fallout: Navigating Client Trauma, Justice Fatigue, and Clinical Responsibility
In this episode of the Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy explore the emotional and clinical fallout following the release of the Epstein files. Rather than reacting to breaking news, they focus on what happens after the headlines fade—when trauma resurfaces, justice fee
Why the Math Doesn’t Work: How Student Loan Debt Hits Therapists Harder Than Other Professions – An Interview with Mick MacLaverty
Why the Math Doesn’t Work: How Student Loan Debt Hits Therapists Harder Than Other Professions – An Interview with Mick MacLaverty
Student loan debt affects nearly every corner of the mental health field, but for therapists, the numbers often don’t add up. In this episode, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk with student loan expert Mick MacLaverty about why therapists carry disproportionately hig
Special Series: Becoming a Therapist - Starting Out After Graduate School: Team-Based Care, Stability, and Early Career Decisions - An Interview with Eden Lathem
Starting Out After Graduate School: Team-Based Care, Stability, and Early Career Decisions - An Interview with Eden LathemSpecial Series: Becoming a Therapist
In this Becoming a Therapist special series episode, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy welcome back Eden Lathem for a second-year check-in following her graduation from graduate school. Now working under temporary licensure, Eden shares what it
Special Series: Becoming a Therapist - Becoming a Therapist as a First-Generation Clinician-in-Training: An Interview with Marvin Vasquez
Becoming a Therapist as a First-Generation Clinician-in-Training: An Interview with Marvin Vasquez
Special Series: Becoming a Therapist
In this Becoming a Therapist special series episode, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy welcome back Marvin Vasquez for a second-year check-in as he moves into the clinical phase of his training. Marvin reflects on beginning direct client work as a first-generation c
Special Series: Becoming a Therapist - After Graduation: Starting a Therapy Career on a Nontraditional Path - An Interview with Derek Isetti
After Graduation: Starting a Therapy Career on a Nontraditional Path - An Interview with Derek Isetti
In this Becoming a Therapist special series episode, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy check back in with Derek Isetti one year after his first appearance on the podcast. Now graduated from his MSW program, Derek reflects on the prelicensed phase of the journey, including navigating post-graduation r
Special Series: Becoming a Therapist - From Corporate Leadership to Counseling Advocacy: An Interview with Iris Wilson-Farley
From Corporate Leadership to Counseling Advocacy: An Interview with Iris Wilson-Farley
Special Series: Becoming a Therapist
In this special Becoming a Therapist series episode, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy welcome back Iris Wilson-Farley for a second-year check-in on her journey through graduate school. Iris reflects on how her expectations of training have shifted, what the internship search w
When Does Therapy Really Start? Managing Risk and Responsibility Before the First Session
When Does Therapy Really Start? Managing Risk and Responsibility Before the First Session
When does therapy actually begin—and when does therapist responsibility start? Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy explore the ethical, legal, and clinical risks that can arise before the first session ever happens, and what therapists can do to protect both their clients and themselves.
In this host-led episode,
When Therapy Goes Vibe-Forward: The Cost of Losing Clinical Depth - An Interview with TJ Walsh, LPC
When Therapy Goes Vibe-Forward: The Cost of Losing Clinical Depth
An Interview with TJ Walsh, LPC
When therapy becomes more about relatability and “vibes” than clinical depth, what gets lost? Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk with TJ Walsh, LPC about how social media culture is shaping therapy expectations, why neutrality and containment still matter, and how supervision and self-work support r
REPLAY: Working With Politically Divided Families with Angela Caldwell, LMFT
REPLAY: Working With Politically Divided Families with Angela Caldwell, LMFT
In this Reprise episode, Curt and Katie revisit their timely conversation with Angela Caldwell, LMFT on working with politically divided families. This episode explores family systems, differentiation, distress tolerance, and therapeutic neutrality when political conflict enters the therapy room. Angela offers a hopeful,
REPLAY - Therapy As a Political Act: An Interview with Dr. Travis Heath
Replay Episode: Therapy As a Political Act with Dr. Travis Heath
In this reprise episode, Curt and Katie revisit their powerful conversation with Dr. Travis Heath on why therapy is inherently a political act. Originally recorded in June 2020, just days after the murder of George Floyd, this episode examines how therapists navigate racism, systems of oppression, political overwhelm, and community
How Therapists Can Actually Rest During the Holidays: Letting Go of Guilt, Productivity, and Instagram-Worthy Expectations
How Therapists Can Actually Rest During the Holidays: Letting Go of Guilt, Productivity, and Instagram-Worthy Expectations
Curt and Katie explore how therapists can create a real holiday break - not a performative or productivity-driven one. They discuss the pressure to rest “perfectly,” the guilt of not fully unplugging, how to shift into restorative downtime, and why passive vs. active rest mat
Bonus Episode! When Good Intentions Lead to Bad Policy: Why the BBS Needs Therapist Feedback – An Interview with Dr. Benjamin E. Caldwell, LMFT
When Good Intentions Lead to Bad Policy: Why the BBS Needs Therapist Feedback – An Interview with Dr. Benjamin E. Caldwell, LMFT
Curt and Katie talk with Dr. Benjamin E. Caldwell about the California BBS’s new regulatory proposals and why several well-intended ideas may actually undermine therapist education and professional standards. We discuss the proposal to award CE hours simply for providin
How Therapists Can Help Clients Finally Sleep: An Interview with Jessica Fink, LCSW-S
How Therapists Can Help Clients Finally Sleep: An Interview with Jessica Fink, LCSW-S
Curt and Katie interview sleep specialist Jessica Fink, LCSW-S, about what therapists often misunderstand about sleep—and what actually helps when clients are stuck in cycles of insomnia, nighttime anxiety, or maladaptive sleep behaviors. Jessica breaks down the limits of sleep hygiene, the fundamentals of CBT-I
Navigating Client Crises When Your Own Life Hits Hard
Navigating Client Crises When Your Own Life Hits Hard
Curt and Katie talk about what therapists can do when client crises show up at the exact wrong time—during holidays, illness, personal stress, or overwhelming seasons of life. They explore capacity, boundaries, communication, safety planning, and how to ethically support clients without becoming a 24/7 crisis line. This is a practical, validat
When Crisis Hits Home: How Therapists Can Survive and Support Each Other — An Interview with Jeanine Rousso
When Crisis Hits Home: How Therapists Can Survive and Support Each Other — An Interview with Jeanine Rousso
Curt and Katie chat with Jeanine Rousso, a licensed counselor and supervisor in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina and founder of Therapist Resource Network, about how therapists can care for themselves when natural disasters or crises directly impact them. They discuss why therapists oft
Surviving Family Gatherings Without Becoming the Family Therapist: Emotional Boundaries for the Holidays
Surviving Family Gatherings Without Becoming the Family Therapist: Emotional Boundaries for the Holidays
Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy explore how therapists can navigate family gatherings without slipping into the role of “family therapist.” They discuss emotional boundaries, guilt, codependency, and the importance of authenticity during the holiday season. Learn how to recognize old family patt
Designing a Sustainable Therapy Career: Reflections on Burnout, Legacy, and Letting Go
Designing a Sustainable Therapy Career: Reflections on Burnout, Legacy, and Letting Go
Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy reflect on what it takes to build and sustain a meaningful therapy career and how to leave the profession well. They explore professional identity, burnout, and how to stay connected to the work without losing yourself in it. Drawing from recent interviews with Lynn Grodzki, Margare
When Burnout Ends Your Therapy Career: An Interview with Ofra Obejas
When Burnout Ends Your Therapy Career: An Interview with Ofra Obejas
Curt and Katie speak with Ofra Obejas, LCSW (Retired), about what happens when even the most dedicated therapists reach their limits. After 20 years in practice, Ofra recognized she could no longer sustain the emotional and systemic demands of the work and chose to close her practice with integrity. She shares what burnout reall
How Therapists Retire: Planning, Ethics, and Letting Go of the Work You Love – An Interview with Lynn Grodzki, LCSW and Margaret Wehrenberg, PsyD
How Therapists Retire: Planning, Ethics, and Letting Go of the Work You Love – An Interview with Lynn Grodzki, LCSW and Margaret Wehrenberg, PsyD
Curt and Katie talk with Lynn Grodzki and Margaret Wehrenberg about how therapists can plan for retirement with intention and integrity. They explore the emotional, ethical, and practical considerations of closing a practice, navigating readiness, and r
Modern Therapist’s Consumer Guide: SimplePractice
Modern Therapist’s Consumer Guide: SimplePractice
Curt and Katie talk with Jonathan Seltzer, CEO of SimplePractice, about how the company continues to evolve to meet the needs of independent mental health professionals. They discuss SimplePractice’s mission to empower clinicians with intuitive tools, transparency around investors, and the responsible use of AI to reduce administrative burdens whi
Protecting Clients Through Better Notes: An Interview with Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey
Protecting Clients Through Better Notes: An Interview with Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey
Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk with Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey about how therapists can document ethically and protectively in a politically charged climate. They explore how to handle sensitive topics like gender identity, reproductive rights, and immigration status while keeping documentation accurate, ethical, and
How Conscious Awareness Shapes Leadership, Therapy, and Collective Healing: An interview with Pardis Mahdavi, PhD
How Conscious Awareness Shapes Leadership, Therapy, and Collective Healing: An Interview with Pardis Mahdavi, PhD
Curt and Katie chat with Pardis Mahdavi, PhD, about how consciousness and intentional awareness can transform therapy, leadership, and community. Pardis shares how cultivating our “inner state," moving from suffering to a “beautiful state,” impacts how we lead, connect, and heal colle
The Crisis in College Mental Health: An Interview with Pardis Mahdavi, PhD
The Crisis in College Mental Health: An Interview with Dr. Pardis Mahdavi, PhD
Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk with Dr. Pardis Mahdavi about the growing mental-health crisis among college students. Pardis shares insights from her years in higher education leadership—revealing how rising costs, outdated systems, and lack of purpose are driving student anxiety and burnout. Together they explore
Medical Necessity or Personal Growth? Why Documentation Matters in Therapy
Medical Necessity or Personal Growth? Why Documentation Matters in Therapy
Curt and Katie talk about medical necessity in therapy documentation – what it is, why it matters, and how therapists can navigate the tension between clinical care, insurance requirements, and personal growth. We explore how documentation protects therapists in utilization reviews and disciplinary processes, and how to et
Beyond Coping: Radical Healing in a World Not Built for Us – An Interview with José Rosario
Beyond Coping: Radical Healing in a World Not Built for Us – An Interview with José Rosario
Curt and Katie chat with José Rosario about radical healing, disability, cultural trauma, and intersectionality. José shares his story as a scholar, practitioner, and activist, and how his lived experience as a disabled person of color who is also queer informs both his clinical work and research. He discu
Navigating Food, Body Image, and GLP-1 Medications: An Interview with Robyn L. Goldberg, RDN, CEDS-C
Navigating Food, Body Image, and GLP-1 Medications: An Interview with Robyn L. Goldberg, RDN, CEDS-C
Therapists are seeing more clients struggling with confusing medical advice, new medications, and diet culture messages that impact their relationship with food and body. In this conversation, Curt and Katie talk with Robyn L. Goldberg, RDN, CEDS-C about how therapists can examine their own biases
Somatic Therapy, Nervous System Regulation, and Expanding Capacity for Rest: An Interview with Linda Thai
Somatic Therapy, Nervous System Regulation, and Expanding Capacity for Rest: An Interview with Linda Thai
Curt and Katie chat with Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200 about practical, culturally aware somatic tools therapists can use, helping clients (and themselves) expand capacity for rest, and integrating bottom-up work ethically when working with trauma survivors and adult children of refugees and imm
The Initial Consultation Call: Setting the Foundation for Therapy
The Initial Consultation Call: Setting the Foundation for Therapy
Curt and Katie chat about consultation and intake phone calls — the crucial first step in the client–therapist relationship. They explore how to balance logistics with empathy, set realistic expectations, and create safety and rapport from the very beginning.
About our Hosts:Curt Widhalm, LMFT – www.curtwidhalm.comKatie Vernoy,
Unmasking Shame, Myths, and Healing for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse: An Interview with Jeremy Sachs
Unmasking Shame, Myths, and Healing for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse: An Interview with Jeremy Sachs
Curt and Katie chat with Jeremy Sachs, integrated therapist and Narrative Exposure Therapist, about supporting male survivors of sexual abuse. We explore harmful myths and stereotypes, the developmental impacts of sexual trauma, and the systemic and cultural barriers that make healing harder. Je
Relational Healing, Neuroplasticity, and the Power of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: An Interview with Dr. Alexa Altman and Shira Myrow
Relational Healing, Neuroplasticity, and the Power of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: An Interview with Dr. Alexa Altman, Ph.D. and Shira Myrow, LMFT
In this episode, Curt and Katie chat with Dr. Alexa Altman and Shira Myrow, LMFT, about psychedelic-assisted therapy and how it supports trauma healing, neuroplasticity, and relational transformation. They explore how these treatments work, what integ
Advanced Minds, Unique Challenges: Therapeutic Approaches for Gifted Children
Advanced Minds, Unique Challenges: Therapeutic Approaches for Gifted Children
Gifted children often present with complex needs that are misunderstood or misdiagnosed. In this continuing education episode, Curt and Katie explore how asynchronous development, emotional intensity, and cognitive complexity show up in the therapy room—and what therapists need to build effective therapeutic alliances.
Relational Self-Awareness and the Hard Truths of Couples Therapy: An Interview with Dr. Alexandra Solomon
Relational Self-Awareness and the Hard Truths of Couples Therapy: An Interview with Dr. Alexandra Solomon
Dr. Alexandra H. Solomon joins Curt and Katie to discuss what therapists get wrong in couples therapy, how to work with high-conflict dynamics, and the power of relational self-awareness. We explore how therapists can show up better prepared for the real work of helping relationships grow—or
What Do You Have to Offer? How Describing Your Ideal Client Might Be Repelling Good Enough Clients
What Do You Have to Offer? How Describing Your Ideal Client Might Be Repelling Good Enough Clients
Curt and Katie chat about common mistakes therapists make when writing their websites and directories — especially using “ideal client” language that may turn away the very clients they want to help. They explore how to write therapist website copy that’s client-centered, inclusive, and more effecti
Mindfulness, EMDR, and Wearable Tech: An Interview with Dr. Steve Dansiger
Mindfulness, EMDR, and Wearable Tech: An Interview with Dr. Steve Dansiger
Curt and Katie chat with Dr. Steve Dansiger about integrating mindfulness into EMDR, what therapists often get wrong about mindfulness, and how wearable technology might enhance trauma healing. Steve shares his journey from punk rock drummer to EMDR trainer to tech innovator—and how sound and vibration may support groundin
Rethinking Oppositional Defiant Disorder: Children reacting to the system around them
Rethinking Oppositional Defiant Disorder—Children Reacting to the System Around Them
Curt and Katie chat about Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), reframing it as a response to systemic and environmental stressors rather than a characterological flaw in children. They explore diagnostic challenges, systemic bias, and treatment considerations that support children and families more holistically.
How Virtual Clinical Supervision is Changing the Field: An Interview with Rachel Ledbetter, LMFT
How Virtual Clinical Supervision is Changing the Field: An Interview with Rachel Ledbetter, LMFT
Curt and Katie chat with Rachel Ledbetter, LMFT, CEO and Co-Founder of Motivo, about how virtual supervision is transforming therapist training and professional development. We explore how technology can remove barriers for prelicensed clinicians, improve the supervision experience, and create space f
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