In this episode, Dr. Megan Speciale and Dr. Clark Ausloos discuss how professional counselors can work toward building more inclusive spaces for transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive young people in and outside of the school setting. Listeners will learn about some of the common barriers experienced by gender diverse students, as well as concrete strategies to strengthen clinical and advocacy skills to enact affirming social and institutional change.   For more on Clark, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit us online.   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu

The Thoughtful Counselor

EP214: Creating Inclusive Spaces for Transgender and Gender Expansive Young People in K-12 Settings

In this episode, Dr. Tanupreet Suri speaks with Dr. Aaron Smith on the intersections of technology and mental health in the age of COVID. Dr. Suri discusses her work promoting greater access to mental health services - especially for students from diverse backgrounds - who are often impacted by the switch to online classes and Telehealth. Dr. Suri notes that technology be both deleterious to peoples' wellbeing, as well as an important source of social and mental support. Finally, we discuss how students and clients can use technology to find culturally-relevant counselors to work with, as well as her upcoming textbook on the experiences of counselors who have sought mental health services during COVID.   For more on Tanupreet, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu

EP213: Power of Disruption: Resilience in the COVID-Era

Join Dr. Stacey Litam and Dr. Jose Luis Tapia-Fuselier Jr. as they discuss the importance of providing disability responsive care. In this episode, Dr. Litam and Dr. Tapia-Fuselier outline the challenges faced by interabled partners, identify strategies to support disabled clients, and challenge professional counselors and counselor educators to relearn what they think they know about sex therapy and disability.  For more on Jose, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu

EP212: Counseling Interabled Partners

In this episode, Megan Speciale talks with Dr. Theodore Burnes about supporting the mental and emotional health needs of clients who are involved in the sex work industry. The conversation explores Dr. Burnes's experience as a therapist and advocate with the sex worker population and also provides an overview of common misconceptions and stigma impacting sex workers. Dr. Burnes outlines strategies to better equip counselors inside and outside of the counseling office with the knowledge, skills, and awareness necessary for affirming and resiliency-based work with this population.   For more on Theodore, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu  

Sex Worker-Affirming Mental Healthcare: What Counselors Need to Know

In this episode, Dr. Jessica Tyler sits down with Dr. Camden Morgante, a licensed clinical psychologist, writer, and speaker, to discuss purity culture. This conversation discusses the problematic messages of purity culture that promote false promises and can activate feelings of shame, guilt, fear, and low self-worth. In addition, we address how therapists can mindfully and intentionally work through spiritual trauma, the belief that purity is a measure of worth, the myth of women as gatekeepers of sexuality, and the grief that comes with dismantling the fairytale that purity will earn a person a dream spouse. For more on Camden, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu  

EP210: The Cost of Purity

In this episode, Dèsa speaks with Pearis Bellamy and Dr. Della Mosley about the formation of Academics for Black Survival and Wellness, aka Academics for Black Lives. They share the successes and challenges of their work as healer-scholar-activists and why the fight for Black liberation leads to the liberation of everyone. We discuss the power of communities, how counselors can be healers beyond the counseling room, and why nothing starts in academia.   For more on Pearis and Della, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu  

Academics for Black Survival and Wellness #Academics4BlackLives

In this episode, Megan talks to Kaila Hattis, LMFT about the importance of involving and empowering parents in the therapeutic care of their teenage children. Using a family systems lens, Kaila describes the benefits of parent involvement in the counseling process with teenagers and outlines strategies to help overcome some of the potential challenges that can arise in and outside of the therapy session. Kaila also describes tools to help facilitate communication skills building, boundary setting, and mutual goal development.    For more on Kaila, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu

Empowering Families in the Care of Teenaged Clients

Internationally renowned clinician, educator, and activist Deborah Headley, MSW chats with Dr. Aaron Smith about how clinicians and educators can create safer spaces for clients and students who are at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities. Deborah shares her three-phase process for facilitating a trauma-informed, safe space to resolve conflicts. These include prevention, intervention, and resolution/evaluation: Prevention: set the tone (framework, my background, experience, teaching style, lens); create agreements including me (my power), gatekeeping  Intervention: review course syllabus and make connections (walk through)  Resolution & Evaluation: critical analysis (belief, opinion vs information & knowledge) ▪ accommodations - all of you is welcome in the classroom; deconstructing the hidden curriculum; secondary & tertiary learning.   For more on Deborah, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu

EP207: Creating Safer Spaces for Clients and Students Who Are at the Intersections of Multiple Marginalized Identities

 In this episode, Dr. Jessica Tyler sits down virtually with Dr. Kathryn Esquer, founder of the Teletherapist Network. Jessica and Dr. Esquer discuss the recent experience of therapists, the importance of community to build clinical and business skills, networking tips to avoid professional isolation and burnout, and strategies on balancing counselor professionalism with self-care. For more on Kathryn, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu

EP206: Finding Community and Connection with the Next Generation of Therapists

In this episode, Raissa talks with Cortland Dahl about the four pillars of well-being and the role contemplative practices play in health and resilience. He shares about the Healthy Minds framework and discusses initial research findings from randomized-control trials of the Healthy Minds program. Cortland offers cautions for some areas of application and highlights futures questions and anticipated developments in the field.   For more on Cortland, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu

EP205: Healthy Minds—Exploring the Neuroscience of Contemplative Practices

Join Dr. Stacey Litam and Dr. Tori Stevens as they explore the intricacies of consensual non-monogamy (CNM). In this episode, Dr. Litam and Dr. Stevens describe some of the common presenting concerns faced by CNM folks in counseling, dispel existing myths about extra-dyadic relationships, and outline how professional counselors can best work with clients who practice CNM.    For more on Tori, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu

EP204: Understanding Consensual Non-Monogamy

In this episode, Dèsa Karye Daniel talks to Dr. Anneliese Singh about the power of racial healing. They discuss why exploring your racial identity is important, how BIPOC and white communities can be intentional in their work, and challenge listeners to get uncomfortable while reflecting on how racial change can happen in mental health.   For more on Anneliese, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloalto.edu

EP203: Racial Healing: Understanding racism, meaningful allyship, and reclaiming your whole self

In this episode, Raissa Miller talks with Maya Rosen about the primary science and practical translations of early adversity. Dr. Rosen gives a historical perspective on adversity research and offers new insights into contemporary conceptualizations and research methods. Dr. Rosen highlights a strength-based perspective and discusses the role relationships play in fostering resilience.   For more on Maya, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu

EP202: Neuroscience of Early Adversity

In this episode, Dr. Joel Givens chats with Dr. Aaron Smith about how subtle forms of surveillance, discipline, and normalization (among others) in Counselor Education programs sometimes disrupt students’ abilities to develop an authentic counseling self and can recreate traumatic narratives for students that are survivors of racism and oppression. Dr. Givens uses Foucault’s philosophies on punishment and discipline to inform their conversation and to explore what these kinds of practices can mean for students of marginalized identities in the classroom and in counseling training clinics. He provides some actionable ways that Counselor Educators can reduce the power hierarchy and prevent the abuse of psychological science that often contribute to oppression in counseling and other fields. They finish by discussing some resources listeners can check out to learn more about Foucault and postmodern narrative work in counseling.   For more on Joel, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at https://concept.paloaltou.edu

EP201: Postmodern Counselor Education—Foucault and the Developing Counselor

In this episode, Jessica Tyler virtually sits downs with Dr. Margie Taylor: Visiting Assistant Professor, LPC-S (AL), NCC and former court-appointed child advocacy representative. We discuss the role counselors can play in the courtroom, surprising components of Dr. Taylor’s work and the topic of court testimony as a clinician, how court testimony could impact the clinical relationship with a client, strategies on balancing counselor professionalism with self-care, and general recommendations for counselors in the courtroom. For more on Margie, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com   The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University’s Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at www.paloaltou.edu/concept

EP200: Counselors in the Courtroom—Surviving and Thriving in Court Testimony

About The Thoughtful Counselor is a podcast that is dedicated to producing great conversations around current topics in counseling and psychotherapy. We view counseling and psychotherapy as a deeply beautiful and complex process, and strive to incorporate both the art and science of the field in each episode.

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The Thoughtful Counselor

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