The Initial Consultation Call: Setting the Foundation for Therapy
The Initial Consultation Call: Setting the Foundation for Therapy
Curt and Katie chat about consultation and intake phone calls — the crucial first step in the client–therapist relationship. They explore how to balance logistics with empathy, set realistic expectations, and create safety and rapport from the very beginning.
About our Hosts:Curt Widhalm, LMFT – www.curtwidhalm.comKatie Vernoy, LMFT – www.katievernoy.com
Key Takeaways for Therapists:
How consultation calls set the tone for therapy
Balancing logistics (fees, scheduling, insurance) with rapport-building
Exploring referral sources, past therapy experiences, and client expectations
Avoiding underselling yourself when discussing fees
For more information and full show notes, visit: mtsgpodcast.com
Join the Modern Therapist Community: Linktree
Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano
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Unmasking Shame, Myths, and Healing for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse: An Interview with Jeremy Sachs
Unmasking Shame, Myths, and Healing for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse: An Interview with Jeremy Sachs
Curt and Katie chat with Jeremy Sachs, integrated therapist and Narrative Exposure Therapist, about supporting male survivors of sexual abuse. We explore harmful myths and stereotypes, the developmental impacts of sexual trauma, and the systemic and cultural barriers that make healing harder. Jeremy shares therapeutic approaches for early disclosure, building safety, and integrating trauma-specific interventions like Narrative Exposure Therapy, as well as the role of transformative justice in recovery.
About Our Guest:Jeremy Sachs is an integrated therapist and Narrative Exposure Therapist from London, UK, now based in Glasgow, Scotland. Since the 2010s, he has run services that support individuals living with trauma or marginalisation, helping them to connect and find community. In 2016, he focused on developing therapy services for men, boys, and trans people who have survived sexual abuse and rape. He runs recovery groups and a private practice both online and in-person.
Key Takeaways for Therapists:
Myths like “men always want sex” or “they must have enjoyed it” are harmful and based on misunderstandings.
Sexual abuse rarely occurs in isolation—context and systemic oppression matter.
Containment and safety should precede trauma-specific work.
Narrative Exposure Therapy can help integrate fragmented memories.
Transformative justice offers community-based alternatives to the criminal justice system.
Get the full show notes and transcript at: mtsgpodcast.com
Join the Modern Therapist Community
Linktree
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Podcast Homepage
YouTube
Facebook Group
Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano
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Relational Healing, Neuroplasticity, and the Power of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: An Interview with Dr. Alexa Altman and Shira Myrow
Relational Healing, Neuroplasticity, and the Power of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: An Interview with Dr. Alexa Altman, Ph.D. and Shira Myrow, LMFT
In this episode, Curt and Katie chat with Dr. Alexa Altman and Shira Myrow, LMFT, about psychedelic-assisted therapy and how it supports trauma healing, neuroplasticity, and relational transformation. They explore how these treatments work, what integration really means, and how therapists can ethically and safely engage with this emerging field.
About our guests:Dr. Alexa Altman and Shira Myrow, MFT, are co-founders of iPsychedelic Therapy. With backgrounds in trauma-informed psychology, spiritual counseling, and relational healing, they offer a holistic approach to psychedelic-assisted therapy that centers ethical care, integration, and transformational growth.
Key takeaways:
Psychedelics are not shortcuts—they act as amplifiers and accelerants in trauma work.
Integration is a crucial part of psychedelic-assisted therapy and often overlooked.
Clinicians must examine their own biases and seek robust training.
Some clients are not appropriate for these treatments due to fragility or lack of therapeutic background.
A safe therapeutic container, rigorous consent, and preparation are essential.
Regulatory frameworks are still emerging and need clinician involvement.
More info, transcripts, and full show notes: mtsgpodcast.com
Join the Modern Therapist Community:
Linktree
Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano
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47:38
Advanced Minds, Unique Challenges: Therapeutic Approaches for Gifted Children
Advanced Minds, Unique Challenges: Therapeutic Approaches for Gifted Children
Gifted children often present with complex needs that are misunderstood or misdiagnosed. In this continuing education episode, Curt and Katie explore how asynchronous development, emotional intensity, and cognitive complexity show up in the therapy room—and what therapists need to build effective therapeutic alliances. They highlight key research, therapist characteristics that support clinical success, and how to work with masking, perfectionism, and challenging behaviors without pathologizing giftedness.
Key Takeaways:
Giftedness includes uneven cognitive, emotional, and social development
Misdiagnosis and masking are common
Therapist flexibility, intensity, and curiosity matter more than techniques
Gifted children often resist therapy when they feel misunderstood
Parents may need education and validation around giftedness
About Our Hosts:
Curt Widhalm, LMFT – www.curtwidhalm.com
Katie Vernoy, LMFT – www.katievernoy.com
CE Available for this Episode
To earn 1 CE unit, visit moderntherapistcommunity.com
More info and full show notes at mtsgpodcast.com
Join the community: linktr.ee/therapyreimagined
Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann – facebook.com/McCannDW
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano – groomsymusic.com
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Relational Self-Awareness and the Hard Truths of Couples Therapy: An Interview with Dr. Alexandra Solomon
Relational Self-Awareness and the Hard Truths of Couples Therapy: An Interview with Dr. Alexandra Solomon
Dr. Alexandra H. Solomon joins Curt and Katie to discuss what therapists get wrong in couples therapy, how to work with high-conflict dynamics, and the power of relational self-awareness. We explore how therapists can show up better prepared for the real work of helping relationships grow—or gracefully end.
About Our Guest:Dr. Alexandra H. Solomon, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, professor, author, and host of the Reimagining Love podcast. Known globally for her relational self-awareness framework, Dr. Solomon bridges clinical wisdom, research, and pop culture in her work with couples. She is the author of Loving Bravely, Taking Sexy Back, and Love Every Day.
Key Takeaways:
The relationship—not the individuals—is the client in couples therapy
Why individual therapist skills don’t always translate to couples work
How regulation and self-awareness reduce conflict and promote connection
What therapists should know about the "change partner vs. acceptance partner" dynamic
Why therapist bias and romantic myths can derail the work
More info, transcripts, and full show notes at mtsgpodcast.com
Join the Modern Therapist Community:https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined
Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann: facebook.com/McCannDW
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: groomsymusic.com
About The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy
The Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide: Where Therapists Live, Breathe, and Practice as Human Beings It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. We are human beings who can now present ourselves as whole people, with authenticity, purpose, and connection. Especially now, when clinicians must develop a personal brand to market their private practices, and are connecting over social media, engaging in social activism, pushing back against mental health stigma, and facing a whole new style of entrepreneurship. To support you as a whole person, a business owner, and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age.
Listen to The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy, Huberman Lab and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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