Libsyn Directory

Faith Dulin | Setting Boundaries And Working With Difficult Clients | TPOT 154

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Release Date: 11/16/2020

Maureen Clancy | Integrating Diverse Healing Modalities in Private Practice | TPOT 327

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Maureen Clancy has been a licensed therapist and trauma expert for the past 20 years, helping women go through enormous life changes who have experienced childhood trauma. In this episode, Maureen shares her journey of integrating alternative healing modalities into therapeutic practice. She discusses her exploration of various methods such as energy work, acupuncture, and Reiki alongside traditional therapy, emphasizing the holistic nature of healing. Maureen reflects on the limitations of the conventional therapeutic profession and advocates for the incorporation of alternative approaches to...

Kasey Compton | Journey to Self-Understanding: Insights for Private Practice Success | TPOT 326

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Kasey Compton is on a mission to help business owners find their entrepreneurial confidence. She went from bankrupt to Boss Babe when she took her first company from zero to three million in less than three years without ditching her life to do it. She owns three other businesses that have accumulated assets of over two million and are growing by the day. Her superpowers include cutting through the clutter to identify a strategic starting point, increasing efficiency through systems, and tapping into a person’s highest potential. She helps others by designing maps for their...

Dr. Jan Carney | Empowering Professionals: The Importance of Public Health Education | TPOT 325

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Dr. Carney is Associate Dean for Public Health and Health Policy, and Professor of Medicine, at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont (UVM). She is Chief of the Division of Public Health at the Larner College of Medicine and directs graduate public health education. In this episode, we cover Dr. Carney’s multifaceted approach to addressing various aspects of healthcare and public health. From guiding individuals through the maze of health information to advocating for systemic changes and collaborative efforts, Dr. Carney's insights underscore the complexity of...

Dr. Connor McClenahan | Crafting Client-Centered Profiles: An Approach to Authentic Engagement | TPOT 324

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Dr. Connor McClenahan founded Here Counseling, which provides a membership model for private practice so therapists can run their own private practices independently while benefiting from group resources. Dr. McClenahan runs a private practice in Los Angeles and Pasadena and has taught, coached, and written on digital marketing for therapists. His new 100-page workbook helps therapists build a strategic marketing plan and grow their practices. In this episode, Dr. McClenahan dives into the delicate balance private practice owners face between self-doubt and sincere empathy. Advocating for a...

Cameron Schober | Therapeutic Frontiers: Healing Innovation in Private Practice | TPOT 323

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Cameron Schober is an LPC-S and LMFT-S in the State of Texas, primarily practicing at The Hope Place in Mansfield, TX. Cameron’s main areas of clinical focus is treating trauma using a combination of Accelerated Resolution Therapy, psychedelic-assisted integration, and postmodern therapy approaches in conjunction with psychoeducation related to trauma and it’s effects on our nervous systems as well as our lives. In this episode, we talk about Cameron's journey through the realm of therapeutic practices, navigating challenges, and embracing novel approaches to healing. From grappling with...

Carla Titus | Financial Foundations for Private Practice | TPOT 322

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Carla Titus is a finance expert with over 15 years of combined corporate financial planning, analysis, strategy, and online businesses experience. She provides fractional CFO services and financial consulting to business owners looking to grow their business profitably. Her priorities for her clients are to help them grow profits, have cash in the bank, and pay themselves well so they can build personal wealth. The journey to financial success in any business requires a solid foundation and forward-thinking strategies. Carla, a seasoned financial advisor, emphasizes the critical role of...

Dr. Liz Lasky | Adapting Private Practice for Modern Needs | TPOT 321

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

This episode covers Dr. Liz Lasky's transformative shift from traditional therapy to coaching, driven by her quest for personal fulfillment and financial success. Embracing skepticism, she champions that therapists can thrive financially while providing valuable services, inspiring others to pursue their dreams. We speak about diverse opportunities for therapists, stressing the need for innovation in the evolving landscape of mental health care. She advocates for balancing roles as a business owner and entrepreneur, believing it's safe to have it all. Dr. Lasky reframes success, encouraging...

Kristie Plantinga | A Guide to Effective Digital Marketing Tactics in Private Practice | TPOT 320

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Kristie Plantinga is a mental health nerd, writer, and marketer living in Colorado. She is the founder of TherapieSEO—a marketing agency serving therapists and coaches—and —a therapist directory that vets therapists so therapy-seekers can focus on fit, not quality. When she’s not writing about mental health and dreaming up creative content strategies, Kristie can be found snuggling her multiple terriers, sipping a homemade dirty chai, and half-helping her husband cook Lebanese food. This episode is all about navigating the evolving landscape of digital marketing. Kristie emphasizes the...

Malka Shaw | Combating Anti-Semitism: Strategies for Therapists in Private Practice | TPOT 319

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Malka is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey, New York, and Florida. She has been in the mental health field for over 25 years and has successfully run her private practice for the last 15 years. In response to the events of October 7th and the ongoing situation, Malka Shaw, LCSW and Stacey Shapiro, LCSW, have co-founded the Kesher Shalom Project. This initiative, led by seasoned trauma specialists, has trained over 2000 therapists globally. Their training equips therapists with vital tools to aid Jewish clients during the conflict, covering trauma assessments, practical...

Jason Frishman | Presence and Mindfulness: Balancing Work and Family | TPOT 318

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

has been working for over 20 years to support individuals, groups, families, organizations, and businesses. Jason is excited to bring over two decades of work in offices, institutions, kitchens, farmers’ markets, woodlots, and boardrooms to wild new environments. Whether as a psychotherapist, the creator and founder of JourneyMen, public speaker, thought leader, or narrative consultant, Jason believes that our lives are adventurous, and we can and should be active, engaged authors of our own adventure stories! In this episode, Jason critiques the societal norms that suppress male...

More Episodes

In this episode, Faith Dulin and I talk about her experiences as a new therapist and working on boundaries with people. As therapists, we like to be accommodating. However, people-pleasing will take a toll over an extended period of time. One way that Faith works on her boundaries is by seeing her own therapist. Plus, we talk about working with clients who are challenging to engage with, and we give tips on building rapport with clients upfront.

Meet Faith Dulin

I moved to Charlotte from the West Coast 20+ years ago. I have a military background and worked uptown in corporate America before completing my degrees in Psychology, Sociology, and Marriage and Family Therapy. In my free time, I gush over dogs on Instagram, enjoy sports, and like taking pictures.

My counseling style is a balance between challenging and cheer-leading. I have a contemporary approach that’s less theory-oriented and more real talk. I’m not reclined in my chair with a monocle, analyzing your every move. I’m listening, I’m curious, I’m aware that behaviors make sense in context. I want to understand you and know what you want in life so we can figure out how to get there. I provide helpful feedback, compassionate support, and take-home strategies and tools. The relationship you have with yourself sets the tone for all other relationships, and I want to empower you to create the love and life you deserve.

In addition to supporting relationships, I work with individual men and women. I'm located near uptown and have evening appointments. Check out my website to see if I'd be a good fit for you.

Boundaries

Faith is putting together a book around the concept of boundaries that doesn't have a religious foundation. There are practical ways to set boundaries without feeling like a jerk. Therapists can struggle with boundaries. For example, some therapists will become heavily invested in their client's lives and their success. Another example of poor boundaries is when a therapist may have social media interactions with their clients. Sometimes, therapists will talk to their clients over the weekend. Also, therapists that handle money will have a challenging time setting a boundary with their clients. We need to continue to work on boundaries. One way that Faith works on her boundaries is by seeing her own therapist.

Working With Difficult Clients

In graduate school, therapists are told they should be gentle and non-confrontational. Everyone has a different style of working with clients. Faith says that she likes to be direct and confrontational. It's essential to label behaviors, even if it isn't warmly received. If a client does not take the label well, it's probably not the right fit for Faith. Clients need to find a therapist that's a good fit for them. If you are not the right therapist for a client, then you shouldn't take it personally. The client must benefit from therapy. If the client doesn't work well with you, it will be best for both of you to go separate ways.

Working With Difficult Men

Faith tends to get male clients that hate therapy – they think it's a bunch of BS. When it's a couple, Faith says that their wife has made them go to therapy. However, men like when Faith gives it to them straight. It's essential to build rapport and trust with your clients. For Faith, she works with police and first responders. A lot of times, these men will come and test her as a therapist. They want to know if their trauma will rattle you. Faith likes to hold a safe space for clients so that they will learn to trust her. When you have that trust, then your relationship with clients can withstand challenging moments in therapy.

Creating A False Mutual Pretense

Therapists can create false mutual pretense. When someone is resistant to therapy, then they are probably testing you out. We should be able to label that dynamic from the beginning. Gordon will ask their clients what sort of experiences they have had with therapy in the past. He says that talking to strangers about personal stuff isn't on anyone's top ten list of things to do. Gordon will let his clients know that he admires their bravery to talk to him. That way, people will let their guard down. Gordon learned this when working with teenagers; they can be resistant to therapy. It's crazy to spill your guts to a total stranger! So we must acknowledge this aspect of therapy.

Building Credibility With Clients

You can share personal things with clients to build your credibility. Clients feel better about a therapist that does a bit of self-disclosure about their struggles. It will help deal with demanding clients. There are some clients that you have to spend more time engaging and aligning. The client must buy into the therapeutic process so they will share and open up with their therapist. Listen to Jeff Geunther on The Practice of Therapy to learn more about self-disclosure in the therapy room.

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