Therapy Chat

Host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C, Integrative Trauma Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor, Consultant and Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator, interviews therapista and other experts about perfectionism, worthiness, authenticity, self care, trauma, attachment, parenting, relationships, mindfulness and holistic psychotherapy methods. Laura brings you interesting discussions about our emotional experience of being human. You'll feel like a fly on the wall listening to Laura share her thoughts or discuss these topics with fellow professionals. Listen in and learn more about yourself!

253: Family Estrangement with Tina Gilbertson 11/20/2020

252: Teletherapy With Kids with Dr. Roseann Cappana-hodge 11/13/2020

252: Teletherapy With Kids with Dr. Roseann Cappana-hodge Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C speaks with returning guest Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge. Roseann is the author of multiple books including "Teletherapy Toolkit™". Laura and Roseann discussed the challenges of providing psychotherapy to children using a virtual format and Roseann offered hope and help for therapists and families who are using this medium during the pandemic. Tune in for an interesting discussion that will be helpful for therapists, teachers and parents as we all navigate the way our interpersonal communication has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic which is affecting the United States and the world. Dr. Roseann is a mental health trailblazer, founder of The Global Institute of Children’s Mental Health and Dr. Roseann & Associates, who is, “changing the way we view and treat children’s mental health”. FORBES magazine called her, “A thought leader in children’s mental health”. Her work has helped thousands reverse the most challenging conditions, such as ADHD, anxiety, mood, autism, learning disability, Lyme, and PANS/PANDAS using PROVEN holistic therapies such as neurofeedback, biofeedback, and psychotherapy. She is the author of the first ever book on teletherapy activities for child and adolescent therapists, “Teletherapy Toolkit™” and It’s Gonna be OK!™ book and The Get Unstuck Program™, which are resources for parents to reverse their child’s symptoms. She has been featured on dozens of media outlets including: Fox, CBS, NBC, FORBES, PARENTS, and New York Times. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2 month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Resources Dr Roseann's website: Want a cool Therapy Chat t-shirt, sticker or mug? Find them here:  Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey -  /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/16787438

251: Perfectly Hidden Depression with Dr. Margaret Rutherford 11/06/2020

251: Perfectly Hidden Depression with Dr. Margaret Rutherford Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this week's episode, recorded prior to the start of the pandemic, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews therapist Dr. Margaret Rutherford, author of the recent book "Perfectly Hidden Depression" and host of the Self Work Podcast. Though the interview took place pre-pandemic, the subject of the discussion is just as timely now, if not more so, with so many people impacted by the mental health effects of the events of 2020. Dr. Margaret Rutherford, a clinical psychologist, has practiced for twenty-six years in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Earning the 2009 Arkansas Private Practitioner of the Year award for her volunteer work at a local free health clinic, she began blogging and podcasting in 2012 to destigmatize mental illness and educate the public about therapy and treatment. With her compassionate and common-sense style, her work can be found at HuffPost, Psych Central, Psychology Today, The Mighty, the Gottman Blog and others. She hosts a weekly podcast, The SelfWork Podcast with Dr. Margaret Rutherford. And her new book, Perfectly Hidden Depression: How to Break Free from the Perfectionism that Masks Your Depression, is published by New Harbinger and available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or your local bookstore. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2 month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Resources Find everything Margaret is doing, including her book, podcast and therapy work at - Purchase Margaret's book, Perfectly Hidden Depression, here: Want a cool Therapy Chat t-shirt, sticker or mug? Find them here:  Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey -  /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/16708613

250: Overcoming Perfectionism with Sharon Martin-LCSW 10/31/2020

249: Transformation Through Adversity with Dr. Suzy Ross 10/23/2020

248: Clinical Hypnotherapy For Performance Anxiety with Elisa Dinapoli 10/16/2020

247: Gentle Self Care From An Ayurvedic Perspective with Gracy Obuchowicz 10/09/2020

247: Gentle Self Care From An Ayurvedic Perspective with Gracy Obuchowicz Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2 month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Welcome back to Therapy Chat! Today host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C speaks with Gracy Obuchowicz about self-care from an ayurvedic perspective. Gracy Obuchowicz is a Washington, DC-based group facilitator, retreat leader and self-care coach. She helps overwhelmed professionals find a deeper work/life balance and live their way into real purpose with strength and ease. Honest and nurturing, Gracy creates healing communities all over the world that activate deep change. Her thoughtful and practical application of self-care techniques continue to evolve and transform many lives. Gracy is a certified Integral Facilitator, a 500-hour registered yoga teacher, and a continuing scholar of Ayurveda. She has led transformational self-care retreats as close as West Virginia and as far away as India and Bali. She has led self-care workshops for the Department of Justice, the American Clinical Social Workers Association, Greenpeace, Lee Montessori Charter School, DC Public Schools, and the DC Public Charter School Board. Gracy work has been featured in The Washington Post, Washingtonian magazine, on NPR, in Conscious Company magazine and through the Ten Directions blog. In 2019, she published selfcarefully, an independent press book on how to care for yourself within the current challenges of our world. Selfcarefully has been reviewed by Publisher’s Weekly and featured by AIGA Eye on Design. She finds work/life balance by caring for her son Jonah, trying out new recipes in the kitchen, and playing outside in nature as much as possible. Resources Want a cool Therapy Chat t-shirt, sticker or mug? Find them here:  Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey -  /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/16335323

246: Understanding The Process Of Trauma Therapy with Dr Gretchen Schmelzer 10/02/2020

245: Trauma, Attachment, Compassion + Yoga In Therapy with Deirdre Fay 09/26/2020

244: Surprising Sources Of Childhood Trauma From Family Origin - With Sharon Martin 09/18/2020

243: Chronic Illness & Trauma 09/11/2020

242: Childhood Trauma + Our Physical + Mental Health With Dr. Gabor Mate 09/04/2020

242: Childhood Trauma + Our Physical + Mental Health With Dr. Gabor Mate Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today's podcast host Laura Reagan revisits an earlier episode speaking to 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. For twelve years Dr. Maté worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with patients challenged by hard-core drug addiction, mental illness and HIV, including at Vancouver’s Supervised Injection Site. With over 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience and extensive knowledge of the latest findings of leading-edge research, Dr. Maté is a sought-after speaker and teacher, regularly addressing health professionals, educators, and lay audiences throughout North America. 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. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Resources (Ted Talk) Article Dr. Maté referenced: "An Integrated Scientific Framework for Child Survival and Early Childhood Development" from Pediatrics, February 2012, Vol 129, Issue 2. Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/15885251

EP241: The Primal Wound Of Adoption + Eco Therapy With Any Sugeno 08/28/2020

240: Childhood Emotional Neglect: What Is It + How Does It Impact Relationships? With Dr Jonice Webb 08/24/2020

240: Childhood Emotional Neglect: What Is It + How Does It Impact Relationships? With Dr Jonice Webb Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits two of her favourite conversations with Dr Jonice Webb. Dr. Webb has been a licensed psychologist since 1991, and has worked in a variety of different settings over the course of her career, including a psychiatric emergency service and substance abuse programs. She has been the Director of several large outpatient clinics. For the past eight years, she has been enjoying her private practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, specializing in the treatment of couples and families. Dr. Jonice Webb has been interviewed on NPR and over thirty radio shows across the United States and Canada about the topic of her book, Emotional Neglect, and has been quoted as a psychologist expert in the Chicago Tribune. She writes the popular Childhood Emotional Neglect Blog on PsychCentral.com. Over two decades of practicing psychology, Dr. Webb gradually started to see a factor from childhood which weighs upon people as adults. This factor is extremely subtle. In fact, it’s so difficult to see that it goes virtually unnoticed while it quietly saps a person’s joy in life, causing him or her to struggle with self-discipline, or to feel disconnected and unfulfilled. Dr. Webb gave a name to this invisible factor from childhood. She calls it Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN). Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Resources Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/15730394

239: Buddhist Psychology + Self Compassion with Tim Ambrose Desmond 08/15/2020

239: Buddhist Psychology + Self Compassion with Tim Ambrose Desmond Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits two of her favourite conversations with Tim Desmond. Tim Desmond is a mindfulness teacher, therapist in private practice, and co-founder of Morning Sun Mindfulness Center in Alstead, NH. He is the author of Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (W.W. Norton, 2015) and offers training and consultation to therapists around the world, helping them to integrate positive psychology and mindfulness practices into their work. Tim has presented at Yale University, the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy Colloquium, Greater Oregon Behavioral Health Conference, and the International Society for Ethics in Psychology and Psychiatry, as well as to mental health audiences around the country. His writings on mindfulness and positive psychology have appeared in the Psychotherapy Networker and the Mindfulness Bell magazine. Tim was interviewed about self-compassion by the Huffington Post, and writes for major mental health websites such as Madinamerica.com. He developed and teaches “dialogue-based mindfulness training,” a technique for teaching mindfulness and self-compassion in which the client is guided through a meditation while giving the clinician feedback about their experience in real-time. The clinician uses this feedback to adjust and custom tailor the meditation instructions in order to ensure the client learns the technique effectively. In 2005, Tim was ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh into the Order of Interbeing after many years of practicing in that tradition. He leads meditation retreats around the US and teaches regularly at Morning Sun Mindfulness Center in NH. In addition to the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, Tim teaches Nonviolent Communication and positive psychology. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Resources Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/15623069

238: Energy Healing For Trauma, Chronic Pain + Chronic Illness With Casey Hersch 08/01/2020

238: Energy Healing For Trauma, Chronic Pain + Chronic Illness With Casey Hersch In episode 238 host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Casey Hersch, LCSW about how energy healing can be a helpful part of healing trauma, chronic pain and chronic illness - when practiced in an ethical manner. Casey shares how consumers can identify safe and unsafe energy healing practices, some of the advantages and pitfalls of using these practices, and how to find an energy worker who is part of a professional organization with ethical standards to protect the public. Casey, a previous guest on Therapy Chat, discusses how energy healing practices have helped her as part of her recovery from trauma and Crohn's disease. Casey Hersch is a licensed clinical social worker, consultant, author, ballroom dancer, and founder of www.lightyoursparkle.life. She specializes in integrative treatment models for chronic illness. She has enhanced her understanding of healing through her studies of holistic treatment modalities. Her own struggles with autoimmune illness (Crohn's disease) and trauma inspire her to help others connect the dots of their own lives and to embrace the many dimension of healing. She is passionate about empowering others to be experts in their own bodies. She has published articles for Social Work Today, The New Social Worker, Taste for Life, Tiny Buddha, and Consciouscat.com, to name a few. Pet companionship, music, dancing, and relationships are at the heart of her healing, and she emphasizes there is not a "one size fits all" approach to health. Her book, pending publication, explores the connections between illness, trauma, attachment, and resiliency. Resources Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Today's guest, Casey Hersch, LCSW, shares resources from her website to learn more about the ethical practice of energy psychology. Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/15437174

237: Masculinity + Violence With Dr Ronald Levant & Shana Pryor 07/25/2020

236: Inclusion In The Workplace with Rajkumari Neogy (Part Two) 07/17/2020

236: Inclusion In The Workplace with Rajkumari Neogy (Part Two) Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Welcome back! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews an expert on workplace culture and its influence on employees. Rajkumari Neogy, the author of "The WIT Factor: Shifting the Workplace Paradigm by Becoming Your Optimal Self," discusses the importance of a workplace environment that makes employees feel a sense of belonging. Rajkumari, who holds a master’s degree in Transformative Leadership Development from the California Institute of Integral Studies describes his experience working at Facebook and other iconic organizations in the Silicon Valley, and why she became a leadership coach based on those experiences. You will hear more about: - How epigenetics factor into creating an inclusive workplace culture - Why leaders should care about "being nice" to their employees - How just as we can rewire our neural pathways, a corporate culture can be rewired to make everyone working there feel safe using principles of polyvagal theory - How a sense of belonging is a somatic experience - What leaders need to do in order to support their teams - An exercise Rajkumari uses when working with corporate teams Rajkumari Neogy is an epigenetic coach and executive consultant focused on the intersection of neurobiology, culture and empathy in today’s business world. Possessing a rare blend of scientific prowess and emotion, Neogy believes that passionate self-reflection coupled with dedicated curiosity define true leadership. Specializing in the technology sector, Neogy has worked with high-powered, worldwide organizations for more than two decades, training leaders at Google, Facebook, Adobe, Indeed, Slack, Salesforce and numerous others. Neogy is based in San Francisco. Resources Learn more about Rajkumari's work at his website: . Sarah Peyton's book, Your Resonant Self: Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/15083051

235: Inclusion In The Workplace with Rajkumari Neogy (Part One) 06/28/2020

235: Inclusion In The Workplace with Rajkumari Neogy (Part One) Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Welcome back! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews an expert on workplace culture and its influence on employees. Rajkumari Neogy, the author of "The WIT Factor: Shifting the Workplace Paradigm by Becoming Your Optimal Self," discusses the importance of a workplace environment that makes employees feel a sense of belonging. Rajkumar, who holds a master’s degree in Transformative Leadership Development from the California Institute of Integral Studies describes his experience working at Facebook and other iconic organizations in the Silicon Valley, and why she became a leadership coach based on those experiences. You will hear: - How epigenetics factor into creating an inclusive workplace culture - Why leaders should care about "being nice" to their employees - How just as we can rewire our neural pathways, a corporate culture can be rewired to make everyone working there feel safe using principles of polyvagal theory. Rajkumari Neogy is an epigenetic coach and executive consultant focused on the intersection of neurobiology, culture and empathy in today’s business world. Possessing a rare blend of scientific prowess and emotion, Neogy believes that passionate self-reflection coupled with dedicated curiosity define true leadership. Specializing in the technology sector, Neogy has worked with high-powered, worldwide organizations for more than two decades, training leaders at Google, Facebook, Adobe, Indeed, Slack, Salesforce and numerous others. Neogy is based in San Francisco. Thank you to Doxy.me for sponsoring this week's episode of Therapy Chat. is an easy to use, HIPAA compliant telehealth platform that is available in free and paid versions. Get $50 off a paid account by going to doxy.me and putting in the code THERAPYCHAT. Resources Learn more about Rajkumari's at his website: The On Being podcast episode with Resmaa Mekanem: Dr. Moshe Szyf on YouTube talking about epigenetics: Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/14992676

234: Holistic Psychiatry For Depression And Trauma - With Dr Jodie Skillicorn 06/22/2020

233: Tolerating Discomfort As A White Person Confronting Racism & White Supremacy 06/12/2020

232: Confronting Structural Inequality & White Supremacy 06/05/2020

232: Confronting Structural Inequality & White Supremacy Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Episode 232: Confronting Structural Inequality & White Supremacy I. I am a white person, and I have my own internalized biases, including racism. I am continually working to confront my own biases and to do better, and I do my best to challenge racism when I see it. I am not an expert in anti-racism work but as a social worker and activist, I do have a lot of education and experience in social justice work. I cannot and won't pretend to have the lived experience of a Black or Brown person living in America and I will give a long list of resources at the end of this episode, that is not an exhaustive list by any means. As I posted on social media earlier in the week, we have two Americas. One that works for white people and one that works against Black people. After the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, protests have taken place in cities all over the US and around the world. There are many people who are speaking out against racism and doing boots on the ground work in this area, and I will provide many resources to help you learn more about what they are doing. Since I have a platform that reaches a number of people, I want to take the opportunity to address those who listen to this podcast in hopes that if you feel lost on how to make a difference on the issue of racism, you might have more clarity after listening to today's show. II. Why am I talking about this? I am a social worker. We follow the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. One of the primary ethical principles that we follow states "Social workers challenge social injustice." Read below: Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice. Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers' social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people. In addition, part of being a trauma informed therapist is understanding the power differential inherent in therapy. And my clients have experienced the trauma of abuse, which is rooted in patriarchal beliefs - for example that children must obey their parents and that beating them will make them obey. Most of my clients have experienced sexual violence in some form, which is again rooted in patriarchy. So even when I am not directly talking about racism, awareness of the impact of systemic inequality which support white supremacy is inherent in the work I do every day. If I fail to understand that I am part of the problem. As I have already acknowledged, my white privilege is a part of me that I was born with, just as being oppressed is something that every black person born in America is born with. It is not fair that I have privilege any more than it is fair that a black person is born with a disadvantage that our country assigns to them based on the color of their skin. That is why I am talking about this today. III. this brings us to what happened to Christian Cooper in Central Park last week. And what could have happened had he not filmed his encounter with Amy Cooper, to whom he is not related. In case you somehow missed that story, Mr. Cooper was birdwatching in Central Park in New York City when he came upon Amy Cooper, who had her dog off leash in an area where dogs are required to be leashed. Mr. Cooper politely asked Amy Cooper to put her dog on a leash and she argued basically that she didn't have to, so he started recording her. She then said that she was going to "call the police and tell them that an African American man is threatening my life". Which he wasn't. She called 911 while being video recorded and on her end of the call it sounded as if someone was attacking her, as her voice rose and became more panicked and hysterical sounding. Maybe she did that on purpose, as some have said, or maybe she really was scared. Mr. Cooper was simply existing, birdwatching, and asked her to follow the park's rules and leash her dog. After the video was viewed millions of time and she lost her dog and her job, she apologized, stating, according to CNN, "I'm not a racist. I did not mean to harm that man in any way." In the same week that this happened in Central Park, protests took place over the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. As you should know, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were killed by police, and Ahmaud Arbery was killed by two white vigilantes while jogging. The Baltimore Sun published an op-ed calling these events lynchings. Their names are added to a long list of others who have been killed because of the color of their skin. Including, in recent years: Philando Castile. Eric Harris. Corey Jones. Walter Scott. Yvonne Smallwood. Freddie Gray. Tamir Rice. Sandra Bland. Trayvon Martin. Tony McDade. Eric Garner. Randolph Evans. Alton Sterling. Michael Brown. Sean Reed. John Crawford, III. Now this is what I want to talk about. To all of us white people who do not want to think of ourselves as racists. What I am about to share may bring up some cognitive dissonance for you. For anyone who doesn't know, this is when your identity, the way you want to see yourself, clashes with information that makes you think about yourself in a different way. It is uncomfortable, and I challenge you to be brave enough to sit with your discomfort and don't turn away. This list comes from a graphic I found on social media. I don't know its origin but I found it through @theconsciouskid. There is the overt type of racism that most of us consider to be loathsome. This includes: Lynching, hate crimes, blackface, swastikas, racist jokes, racist slurs, burning crosses, the N word, Neo-Nazis, KKK for example. I think most of us know those behaviors and hate groups are racist. Then there is covert racism, which is more insidious because it is embedded in our society. Examples include: calling the police on black people, white silence, colorblindness, white parents self segregating neighborhoods & schools, white savior complex, eurocentric school curriculums, education funding from property taxes, tone policing, racist mascots, not believing experiences of BlPOC, paternalism/patriarchy, victim blaming, "don't blame me, I never owned slaves," higher infant & maternal mortality rates for BlPOC, discriminatory lending, spiritual bypassing, racial profiling, "All Lives Matter," bootstrap theory, denial of racism, claiming reverse racism, expecting black people to teach white people about racism, housing discrimination, attributing more maturity and responsibility to black children than you would to white children, housing and employment discrimination...the list goes on and on. As a white person, whether or not you identify as racist, you benefit from the structures that support white supremacy. For example, property inheritance. Many white people have had the opportunity for property to be passed down for generations, giving white people a better start than most black people have had available, particularly because for many years black people were not allowed to own property. So white people have, in general, had hundreds of years of head start on accumulation of wealth that was not available to black people. That is just one simple example. This country was built on white supremacy - just consider the Declaration of Independence, written by a group of wealthy white men who were "owned" enslaved people. Like Thomas Jefferson, who had several children by an enslaved girl, Sally Hemings, beginning when she was only 14 years old. Those children, who were also enslaved, had no inheritance rights despite being biological children of this powerful landowner. The Declaration of Independence states : "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." Clearly they did not see blacks as "men," since they had no right to life or liberty and the rights in the Constitution did not apply to them (or to women either, there's that patriarchy again). So - back to the present day - Amy Cooper, in Central Park, just did what any white woman might do if she was alone and did not have a white man to give her power. Since women are disempowered in the US, we get our power from our association with men. At least, white women do. We are born and raised to understand that first our fathers will protect us, and then when we are adults our husbands will protect us. And if our fathers and our husbands aren't around, then we can call the police who will come and protect us. Why do we women need so much protection? Because our culture with its hypermasculinity says that we are sexual objects for men to compete for, and it is not until we are married that we are safely off limits to men other than our husbands. This is one of the ways that women unconsciously perpetuate white supremacy and the patriarchy. We have seen this happening so often on video now, thanks to social media, which is shining a light on how things really are for those who are living outside of our bubbles. There is even a meme that describes how Karens - white women who are indignant when they feel black people are stepping out of line - demand to speak to the manager or call 911 when they see black people picnicking in a park or drinking water in Starbucks. IV. so what we are talking about here is structural racism. I found a great definition of structural racism on the Racial Equity Tools website, where they quoted an organization called Solid Ground, which is based in Seattle. It says " “the systematic distribution of resources, power and opportunity in our society to the benefit of people who are white and the exclusion of people of color. Present-day racism was built on a long history of racially distributed resources and ideas that shape our view of ourselves and others. It is a hierarchical system that comes with a broad range of policies and institutions that keep it in place. In the United States, institutional racism has been responsible for slavery, settlement, Indian reservations, segregation, residential schools (for American Indians), and internment camps. While most of these institutions no longer exist, they have had long-term impacts on our society. As a result of institutional racism, racial stratification and disparities have occurred in employment, housing, education, healthcare, government and other sectors. While many laws were passed in the mid-20th century to make discrimination illegal, major inequalities still exist." So if you think having our first black President resolved all the problems of our country's racism, think again. STOP If you are a white person, ask yourself whether you would choose to be black if you could. Black people are beautiful, wonderful, gifted contributors to American society. We love black culture but our society does not love black people. If you are being honest with yourself, I don't think anyone would choose to be black in America, because we all know that black people in this country are not treated fairly. I respect the role of law enforcement, but I would not be afraid to look a police officer in the eye and explain why I was speeding or to argue if I was accused of running a red light that I know wasn't red. I don't have to worry about being killed when I get pulled over. Even though that could happen, it is so unlikely that it doesn't cross my mind. And if I were killed after being pulled over for speeding, there would be outrage in the community because people would think it was wrong that I, a white woman, was killed in a traffic stop. That is why the Black Lives Matter movement exists. Because when a black person is killed during a traffic stop, white people tend to say, "well, you don't know what happened before the video started." or "he should have followed the police officer's orders." "He was resisting." "he tried to run away." We don't ask why a gun was pulled on someone who was pulled over for a broken taillight or running a red light. There needs to be a movement called "Black Lives Matter," because to white Americans, when a black person is murdered there is little reaction. Philando Castile was in lawful possession of a gun, which he disclosed to the officer, and he was killed anyway. I feel that the Second Amendment rights that are so important to many Americans are only valid for white people, one of the many ways that our laws are enforced unequally. Why do white people need so much protection? We have the most power yet we are still so afraid. Maybe we are so afraid because we know that we as a country are mistreating an entire group of people and have been for the entirety of the colonization of this land that we took from the indigenous peoples who lived here prior to the 1600s. If we had an egalitarian society where everyone enjoyed the great American dream, maybe we would have less to fear from our fellow citizens. If you don't understand what I'm talking about, please start out by reading Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States, which tells our country's origin story from the point of view of the indigenous peoples who experienced genocide in the name of colonialism. I saw a great satirical article that talked about how the current situation in the US could be written about if it was happening in another country. I will read a couple of quotes from that article. " In recent years, the international community has sounded the alarm on the deteriorating political and human rights situation in the United States under the regime of Donald Trump. Now, as the country marks 100,000 deaths from the  pandemic, the former British colony finds itself in a downward spiral of ethnic violence. The fatigue and paralysis of the international community are evident in its silence, America experts say. The country has been rocked by several viral videos depicting extrajudicial executions of black ethnic minorities by state security forces. Uprisings  in the northern city of Minneapolis after a video circulated online of the , after being attacked by a security force agent “Sure, we get it that black people are angry about decades of abuse and impunity,” said G. Scott Fitz, a Minnesotan and member of the white ethnic majority. “But going after a Target crosses the line. Can’t they find a more peaceful way, like kneeling in silence?” Ethnic violence has plagued the country for generations, and decades ago it captured the attention of the world, but recently the news coverage and concern are waning as there seems to be no end in sight to the oppression." V. So what can you and I do about these issues? Concrete things. Confront your own internalized racism. This will bring up the shame of privilege. Don't get swallowed up by shame, and take a break if you need to take a break (a privilege that black people don't get) and then get back to it as soon as you can. Don't ask black people to expend their emotional labor for free to teach you and absolve you of responsibility. Pay black people who are teaching about anti-racism work and learn from them. How to do that? I am going to give you a bunch of resources, by no means an exhaustive list, of people you can learn from. After this I am going to step back because I am not the expert here. But I hope that by using my voice to educate white members of my audience on racism, I may make a difference in some way. Resources: Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/14694617

231: Observations During The Pandemic 06/01/2020

230: Finding Your True Self While Coping During Covid with Kyle Davies 05/22/2020

230: Finding Your True Self While Coping During Covid with Kyle Davies Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Welcome to episode 230 of the Therapy Chat Podcast. In this weeks episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Kyle Davies on the subject finding your true self whilst coping with Covid-19. Kyle Davies is a wellbeing and mindset coach, author and trainer. He specializes in helping individuals and groups to optimise their energy and wellbeing, combat stress and stress-related symptoms, improve mental clarity and performance, and develop inner resilience and flow. Kyle originally qualified as a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and is the creator of Energy-Flow Coaching™. He spent a chunk of his career pioneering a new approach for treating chronic fatigue and pain, anxiety, depression and other stress-related symptoms – which is reflected in the recently published book, The Intelligent Body. Kyle’s work is about developing people from the inside out. He doesn’t try to get people to learn loads of mental techniques that they quickly forget, or to try and fix their environment because situations and environments often can’t be changed. Rather he helps people to gain a better and deeper understanding of themselves so they can tap into their own resilience, flow and potentials, helping them be more effective at work, at home, and in life. Kyle facilitates transformations for those who are stuck, overwhelmed, lost or stressed and empowers them to experience greater personal freedom and higher consciousness. His work offers a new understanding of the relationship between hidden stress in the body, emotional energy, and chronic health challenges. Resources: Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/14528501

229: Eating Disorders + Disordered Eating During Covid 05/15/2020

229: Eating Disorders + Disordered Eating During Covid Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews eating disorders specialist Jennifer Rollin, LCSW-C about how the current pandemic can bring up issues from those who are in recovery from eating disorders. Our guest also describes how people who don't identify as having eating disorders can begin having issues during this time, and offers resources for anyone who is struggling. Guest's bio: Jennifer Rollin is a therapist and founder of The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland, who specializes in working with adolescents and adults with eating disorders and body image issues. Jennifer serves as the chairwoman of Project Heal's national network of eating disorder treatment providers. Jennifer has been named as one of the top eating disorder experts in the world by Balance Eating Disorder Treatment Center in NYC. Jennifer has a certificate in Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders. She also has a certificate in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. She is on The Junior Board of Directors for The National Eating Disorders Association. She was invited to serve on the conference committee for The National Eating Disorders Association's 2018 Conference. Jennifer has been interviewed speaking about eating disorders on television including on Fox, ABC, PBS, and NBC. She gives talks about eating disorders at national eating disorder conferences, therapy centers, retreats, and colleges. She is an expert writer for The Huffington Post and Psychology Today. Her professional blog was named one of the top eating disorder blogs in the world. She is the author of an upcoming book on eating disorder recovery. Resources Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/14435735

228: Coming To Terms With Existential Questions - with Dr Daryl Van Tongeren + Sara Van Tongeren 05/08/2020

228: Coming To Terms With Existential Questions - with Dr Daryl Van Tongeren + Sara Van Tongeren Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. In this week's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren a professor and researcher and Sara Showalter Van Tongeren, a clinical social worker. Together they authored the new book, The Courage to Suffer: A New Clinical Framework for Life’s Greatest Crises. Daryl and Sarah discussed the existential questions that are making it so challenging to stay centered and feel peaceful during this pandemic. These questions are relevant to all of our lives during a pandemic and during normal times. Daryl R. Van Tongeren, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. A social psychologist, he has published over 160 scholarly articles and chapters on topics such as meaning in life, religion, virtues (including forgiveness and humility), relationships, and well-being. His research has been covered by numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, NPR Affiliate Radio Stations, Scientific American, and Men’s Health. His research has been supported by numerous grants from the John Templeton Foundation to explore topics including humility, meaning in life, and religion and religious de-identification, and his research has won national and international awards. He received a 2016 Rising Star designation from the Association for Psychological Science (APS), and he was named a Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) and a Fellow of the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA). Currently, he is an associate editor for The Journal of Positive Psychology, and a consulting editor for Psychology of Religion and Spirituality and The Journal of Social Psychology. Sara A. Showalter Van Tongeren, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the states of Michigan and Virginia. Sara has more than 10 years of clinical social work experience in settings such as private practice, foster care, in-patient hospitals and outpatient medical clinics, domestic violence shelters, and behavioral health. Currently, she works in a private practice in Holland, MI where she provides therapy to individuals, couples, and families to help them cultivate a sense of meaning and develop narratives of resilience following trauma and unexpected life events. Sara specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Narrative Therapy, Brainspotting, and Acceptance Commitment Therapy. You can follow her professional work on Instagram @theexistentialtherapist Together, Daryl & Sara, co-authored a book on meaning and suffering, The Courage to Suffer: A New Clinical Framework for Life’s Greatest Crises, that was released in March 2020. Thank you to Doxy.me for sponsoring this week's episode of Therapy Chat. is an easy to use, HIPAA compliant telehealth platform that is available in free and paid versions. Get $50 off a paid account by going to doxy.me and putting in the code THERAPYCHAT. Resources Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/14306465

227: The Stage of Grief We Don't Talk About: Anxiety with Claire Bidwell Smith 04/30/2020

227: The Stage of Grief We Don't Talk About: Anxiety with Claire Bidwell Smith Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. In today's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews a guest who is an expert on grief. Claire Bidwell Smith is a therapist and the author of the new book, Anxiety: the Missing Stage of Grief. Here's what was discussed: - Therapy Chat has been focusing on grief this year, but episodes have taken a detour to focus more directly on the current worldwide pandemic happening in April of 2020. Today's episode is fitting for both the pre and post COVID19 world. - Laura and Claire talk about some of their own experiences with grief, as well as common themes heard in work with clients in both of their therapy practices - Claire explains how Elizabeth Kubler Ross's stages of the dying process became what most people recognize as the "stages of grief" - Claire describes the "missing stage" of grief - anxiety and how it shows up for us - Claire offers tips for those who are finding themselves overwhelmed with anxiety and panic during the pandemic and at any point while living with grief - Claire shares some suggestions of books and other resources including her own online courses and meditations to help people come to terms with grief Claire Bidwell Smith is a licensed therapist specializing in grief and the author of two previous books of nonfiction: The Rules of Inheritance and After This. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Salon.com, Slate, Chicago Public Radio, Psychology Today, Yoga Journal, and BlackBook Magazine. She received her Master’s Degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University, and has a therapy practice in Los Angeles while also working with clients around the globe. Thank you to Doxy.me for sponsoring this week's episode of Therapy Chat. is an easy to use, HIPAA compliant telehealth platform that is available in free and paid versions. Get $50 off a paid account by going to doxy.me and putting in the code THERAPYCHAT. Resources Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/14140643

226: Surviving And Thriving As A Highly Sensitive Person with Patricia Young 04/18/2020

225: When It's Time For Trauma Therapy + When It Isn't with Dr Odeyla Gertel Kraybill 04/17/2020

225: When It's Time For Trauma Therapy + When It Isn't with Dr Odeyla Gertel Kraybill In this week's episode, host Laura Reagan LCSW-C interviews guest Dr. Odelya Gertel Kraybill. Odelya is a highly experienced trauma therapist and trainer who has worked with survivors of trauma all over the world. In this discussion you will hear: - What we must do for self-care during a time like this - tips we can share with our clients as well - When to do trauma therapy and when to do crisis intervention/Psychological First Aid - What many therapists don't realize about how we need to work differently during the current crisis - Odelya describes her Expressive Trauma Integration framework and the elements of her approach to crisis work, which is most appropriate for our current time. Dr. Odelya Gertel Kraybill, Ph.D., LCPC, ACS has worked as a consultant and trauma therapist for the UN and NGOs around the world. A Fulbright scholar, she conducted research in the Philippines, Lesotho, and Israel, that led to the development of Expressive Trauma Integration (ETI), an integrative approach to trauma treatment. She has led workshops, taught, and presented in the U.S., Canada, Lesotho, South Africa, Japan, China, Philippines and South Korea. She is a graduate adjunct faculty member at the George Washington University art therapy program and is widely recognized as a blogger on stress and trauma on Psych Central. Kraybill uses the ETI approach in providing consultation, training, supervision, psychotherapy, and e-consultation. She also maintains a private practice for survivors of developmental and complex trauma. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. Thank you to Doxy.me for sponsoring this week's episode of Therapy Chat. is an easy to use, HIPAA compliant telehealth platform that is available in free and paid versions. Get $50 off a paid account by going to doxy.me and putting in the code THERAPYCHAT. Resources Check out Odelya's webinars for clinicians and clients here: Therapists can join Odelya's sustainability Facebook group here: Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/13952591

224: Using Technology To Help Make Therapy Accessible In A Crisis with Dr. Brandon Welch 04/09/2020

224: Using Technology To Help Make Therapy Accessible In A Crisis with Dr. Brandon Welch Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to and using the promo code TherapyChat. In today's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Brandon Welch, assistant professor of Biomedical Informatics at the Medical University of South Carolina about how technology, including telehealth, can help make therapy and medical care accessible during a crisis. Among other things, as you will hear, Brandon is the founder of one of our sponsors, Doxy.me and I'm grateful that he was willing to share his expertise to help us learn more about telehealth, which many therapists had to switch to quickly due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Today's discussion touches on the following topics: - The benefits of telehealth - Some of the objections that therapists may have to using telehealth - Some of the concerns and fears clients may have regarding telehealth - Some of the other ways Brandon and his team are working on technology that can be helpful in assessment and helping clients with adherence to treatment recommendations or between session homework If you're a therapist who has been ambivalent about implementing telehealth, maybe this episode will inspire you to give it a chance. If you're an individual who needs and wants to seek support at this time, may you be inspired to reach out to a therapist who seems like a good fit and see if you're able to meet with them, even in the midst of this crisis, via video. Stay tuned for next week's episode, in which Laura will be interviewing a trauma expert about the difference between coping in a crisis and "trauma therapy Thank you to Doxy.me for sponsoring this week's episode of Therapy Chat. is an easy to use, HIPAA compliant telehealth platform that is available in free and paid versions. Get $50 off a paid account by going to doxy.me and putting in the code THERAPYCHAT. Resources Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes . Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - /episode/index/show/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/id/13917074

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