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123: The Therapist as a Tool: Emotional Awareness, Boundaries, and Self-Care with Alyssa Scarano

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

Release Date: 12/17/2025

124: Sustaining the Therapist Self: Values-Based Self-Care and Why Your Netflix Binge Isn't Working with Lorain Moorehead

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky welcomes Lorain Moorehead, LCSW—psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, EMDR consultant, and host of the Self Careapist Therapist Podcast—for a conversation about burnout, perfectionism, and why most therapists are doing self-care all wrong. Lorain shares how she reverse-engineered her own self-care after realizing her TV binges left her feeling worse, not better. Together, Sindee and Lorain explore how childhood wounds of “be the role model” drive our over-functioning, why competitive athletes can’t just “work out” and...

123: The Therapist as a Tool: Emotional Awareness, Boundaries, and Self-Care with Alyssa Scarano

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

In this deeply reflective episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky sits down with Alyssa Scarano to talk about what it really means to care for ourselves while doing emotionally demanding work. While Alyssa’s background in family therapy shaped her clinical lens, this conversation goes far beyond technique. Together, Sindee and Alyssa explore how a therapist’s internal emotional experience — the frustration, ache, exhaustion, or even invisibility felt after a session — can become valuable information rather than something to push away. Alyssa shares a pivotal supervision...

122: Becoming Him: Freedom, Burnout, and the Gator Life with Dr. Jason Branch

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky welcomes Dr. Jason Branch—therapist, educator, podcaster, and self-proclaimed Gator—for a conversation about burnout, authenticity, and becoming the best version of yourself. Dr. Branch shares his raw journey through severe burnout as a new clinician and how an unexpected detour into bartending school helped him evolve into “Him.” In this fun episode, Sindee and Jason laugh, get real, and go deep as they explore the beliefs that keep us stuck, the power of doing something different, uncomfortable, and new (DUN), and why most...

121: Holding the Holidays: Boundaries, Burnout, and Being Human as a Therapist

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

In this gentle, heart-centered holiday episode, Sindee offers simple, grounding guidance for therapists moving through a season that can feel both beautiful and overwhelming. She explores how to set clear, ethical boundaries, how to approach crisis concerns with steadiness, and how to notice the early signs of burnout before the new year hits hard. Sindee also shares practical ways to support clients through family dynamics without diving into heavy trauma work right before a break—focusing instead on preparation, coping tools, and loving limits. Throughout the episode, she reminds us...

120: The Phoenix Within: Radical Healing and the Power of Community with José Rosario

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky sits down with José Rosario—therapist, human rights speaker, and founder of The Phoenix Empowered—for a powerful and heartfelt conversation about radical healing, identity, and the systems that shape our mental health. Born to young Puerto Rican parents and living with cerebral palsy, José’s story is one of defiance, resilience, and community. From being told as a child that he would “never accomplish anything” to becoming a leading voice in intersectional mental health, José shares his deeply personal journey of finding...

119: Finding Peace of Mind: Courage, Connection, and Healing with Jonathan Kemp

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky sits down with Jonathan Kemp—mental health advocate, entrepreneur, and author of Finding Peace of Mind—for an honest conversation about living with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, addiction, and dyslexia, and what it means to find healing later in life. Jonathan shares the many twists and turns of his journey—from working in the Australian outback and serving in law enforcement in the UK to completing a master’s degree in international finance—all while navigating systems and self-doubt that told him he couldn’t do...

118: Your Pain Has a Name: Identity, Healing, and Compassion with Monica DiCristina

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky sits down with Monica DiCristina, LPC, therapist, writer, and podcaster, to explore the healing power of naming our pain. Monica shares her personal journey of living with undiagnosed OCD and intrusive thoughts, and how finding a name for her struggle became the first step toward freedom. Together, Sindee and Monica talk about separating identity from wounding, why coping behaviors don’t define us, and the importance of listening to the “trauma whispers” in our daily lives. They also discuss the cultural pull toward quick...

117: Healing the Helpers: Emotional Labor, Boundaries, and Community with Kara Cruz

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky talks with Kara Cruz, LMFT, PMH-C, a therapist, supervisor, and community builder dedicated to “healing the helpers.” Kara has created spaces like the Supervisor Circle and Therapist Group Bootcamp to support clinicians in their professional and personal growth. They dive into the emotional labor of caregiving professionals, how fear and self-abandonment keep therapists from setting boundaries, and why building supportive communities is essential to prevent burnout. Kara also shares her passion for group work, offering practical...

116: The Human Puzzle: Trauma, Healing, and Psychedelic Therapy with Keith Kurlander

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky talks with Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC, co-founder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute and a pioneer in psychedelic therapy education. Keith shares his own mental health journey, beginning with a near-suicide at 19, and how decades of healing led him to build innovative training programs that are reshaping the field. They dive into the growing role of psychedelic-assisted therapy, what integration really means after a transformative session, and why trauma is often the common thread in mental health struggles. Keith also explains...

115: Betrayal and Forgiveness: Rebuilding Trust After Deep Hurt with Dr. Bruce Chalmer

A Simple Therapy Podcast: Honest Conversations on Therapy, Mental Health, Healing and Self-Growth

In this episode of A Simple Therapy Podcast, Sindee Gozansky sits down with Dr. Bruce Chalmer, a couples therapist, author, and podcaster who has spent more than 30 years helping people navigate intimacy, betrayal, and forgiveness. They explore why communication skills alone won’t save a struggling relationship, how true healing begins with the courage to face intimacy, and what Dr. Chalmer calls the “oh, shit moment” that can change everything for a couple. He also shares insights from his latest book, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again,...

More Episodes

While Alyssa’s background in family therapy shaped her clinical lens, this conversation goes far beyond technique. Together, Sindee and Alyssa explore how a therapist’s internal emotional experience — the frustration, ache, exhaustion, or even invisibility felt after a session — can become valuable information rather than something to push away.

Alyssa shares a pivotal supervision moment that reframed her understanding of countertransference and helped her see that the emotions we carry out of session are often signals asking for attention, care, or boundaries. They discuss how therapists can learn to sit with emotion without absorbing it, and why ignoring our internal world is one of the fastest paths to burnout.

This episode also offers a grounded, realistic reframe of self-care — not as spa days or perfection, but as discernment, listening to the body, and responding to what truly restores us. Alyssa opens up about what self-care looks like in her own life as a clinician, business owner, parent, and human, including how her yoga practice has evolved into something quieter, more internal, and deeply sustaining.

If you’re a therapist feeling emotionally spent, blurred at the edges, or unsure how to keep showing up without losing yourself, this conversation offers permission, language, and reassurance: your emotions are not a liability — they’re part of the work.

In this episode, we explore:

Using your emotional experience as clinical information rather than self-judgment
How feeling “invisible” or ineffective in session can reveal important relational dynamics
The difference between empathy and emotional over-identification
Recognizing when something feels “sticky” or achy — and what that means for self-care
Why self-care is about discernment, boundaries, and listening to your body
How therapists can stay emotionally present without burning out
Small, realistic first steps for bringing emotional awareness into your work
Why supervision and personal reflection are essential for sustainability