Pink Elephants, Coordinated Chaos and Cake: Caring for People as a First Responder with Scott Reasor
What does caring for people really look like when everything is on the line? In this episode, EMT and Paramedic Instructor Scott Reasor offers a thoughtful perspective on caring for others from the frontlines of emergency response. With decades of experience as a firefighter, EMT, and now a continuing education director, Scott shares stories that bridge his experiences as a first responder with the relational work of therapists. • We talk about: • The myth of the “right” response—and the importance of adapting as data evolves • What “pink elephants” have to do with trust, mutual respect and de-escalation • How the gift of presence can go beyond protocol to address human need The story of a woman who brought cake to the firehouse as a thank-you for attending to her emotional needs—and how that sparked a culture shift Why “treating people like humans” isn’t just kindness—it’s clinical wisdom Whether you’re stabilizing someone after a car accident or sitting with a client in emotional crisis, this episode explores what it means to show up and care, even when you don’t have all the answers.
--------
59:32
Is This Even Working? Patience, Process and Patterns in Play Therapy with Lisa Forbes
Play therapy isn’t just child’s play. In this episode of Therapist Confidential, Travis Heath talks with Dr. Lisa Forbes about non-directive play therapy, where patience, process, and trust guide the therapeutic journey. They explore how stories unfold through toys, what progress really looks like, and how to support parents along the way. A must-listen for therapists who work with kids—or anyone who wants to understand what therapy looks like when the language is play. • The phases of non-directive play therapy: from rapport to narrative shifts • Understanding “embodied stories” in a child’s play • How play becomes a metaphor for internal healing • Communicating with parents about the invisible progress of therapy • The therapeutic power of patience, observation, and belief in the process
--------
1:08:48
In the Borderlands of Therapy with marcela polanco
“What if we stopped asking, 'What do I do with this client?' and started asking, ‘What’s alive in this relationship?’” —marcela polanco
In this episode of Therapist Confidential, Travis Heath is joined by marcela polanco for a radical reimagining of therapy—not as a series of techniques to be applied, but as a relationship to be tended. Together, they explore what it means to shift from prescriptive models to deeply relational, decolonial practices rooted in lived experience, language, and land.
Drawing from her life as a Colombian immigrant, narrative therapist, and decolonial scholar, marcela invites listeners to consider healing that’s grounded in connection, not just intervention. Produced by Psychotherapy.net, this conversation opens a necessary dialogue about what it means to truly meet another human being in therapy—and what might be possible when we do.
Therapist Confidential is a raw, real, and unscripted podcast, creating an authentic dialog by pulling back the curtain on what it really means to be a therapist. Host Travis Heath pushes beyond the surface-level conversations, diving deep into the successes, struggles, fears, and failures that reveal guests in a way they’ve never been heard before.
Ireland