Therapist Uncensored Podcast

The political events in the United States have been a major contributor to our anxieties these past years, and with our significant presidential election looming over us this week - Ann and Sue are here to talk about the hard things. While the world feels unpredictable on the outside, one thing we can do is focus on the intricate relationship between our nervous systems and the emotional responses triggered by political events. They discuss how fear and anxiety are often manipulated through political rhetoric, leading to division and polarization, the importance of understanding how personal relationships amidst these tensions are emphasized, and the need for secure relating and accountability from leaders. There is power in recognizing the complexity of political opinions and the necessity of maintaining open dialogue to foster connection rather than division. Join us as we explore how to navigate differences, the importance of empathy and community, and the need for resilience during uncertain times.

Alongside Pam Benson Owens, Ann and Sue explore a variety of topics with a live audience at the KUYA Wellness center in Austin, TX. Referencing their book, Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World, they delve into the neuroscience behind relationships, discussing attachment styles and emotional regulation, and emphasize the importance of creating safe spaces for dialogue. They highlight the significance of understanding generational trauma and the complexities of navigating relationships in a diverse society. Through personal stories and insightful discussions, they shine a light on the power of self-awareness, encouraging listeners to explore their own emotional landscapes with compassion and curiosity. Learn how creating safe spaces for open dialogue can deepen connections, while understanding the role of pauses and curiosity in everyday conversations.

James Ochoa and co-host Sue Marriott explore the different subtypes of ADHD, and the impact on adults who are navigating a diagnosis later in life. As an ADHD expert, Ochoa shares insights on the emotional and mental stress that accompanies ADHD, as well as provides different techniques for managing symptoms. With an emphasis on the importance of self-care, communication, and personalized strategies, he provides resources and training for adults with ADHD, professionals who work with ADHD clients, and family members of individuals with ADHD.

problems both internally and relationally. Learn the difference between defenses that feel right (Egosyntonic) and those that don't (Egodystonic) and why it's important to work against them for change. This episode is a deep dive into the role of EDTS in couples' therapy, and highlights the need for an integrated approach to address underlying trauma, plus much more!

Sue Marriott and Akilah Riley Richardson dive into a compelling discussion about the vital need to center marginalized voices in therapy. They explore how Western perspectives have shaped therapy practices globally, often overlooking diverse cultural approaches. Akilah brings a fresh, challenging perspective to the table. She pushes for a real shake-up in how we approach therapy, especially when working with marginalized couples. It's not just about tweaking existing methods – she's calling for a fundamental rethinking of our assumptions. The conversation tackles some heavy topics, from unpacking the concept of relational privilege to developing strategies that help couples see beyond their individual struggles to the bigger picture of systemic trauma. It's eye-opening stuff.  What really stands out is their focus on the deep impact of systemic trauma. They don't just acknowledge it – they dig into why it's so crucial for therapists to truly understand and address it in their work. Ultimately, this discussion isn't just academic. It's a call to action for therapists to step up, broaden their perspectives, and find new ways to help couples break free from systemic constraints. It's about empowering relationships and, in the process, maybe changing the face of therapy itself. Get it ad-free: www.therapistuncensored.com/join Go to shownotes www.therapistuncensored.com/tu245.

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy – the good, the questionable and what to worry about

Pychedelic assisted therapy

Nigel Denning is a pioneer in the field of training and research around the therapeutic use of medicines, and as an Australian, has seen what happens when psychedelics become legalized.  He and co-host Sue Marriott discuss the state of psychedelic-assisted therapy as it ‘officially’ emerges in the United States.  They discuss the efficacy of psychedelics such as MDMA and psilocybin as well as concerns about how these medicines are implemented and by whom. The need for structured treatment that supports integration with a solid theory of mind is emphasized.

Denning shares how the substances offer new opportunities for those who have not had success with traditional treatments, as well as addresses the concerns and skepticism around the science. Through their emphasis on the importance of proper setting, preparation, and integration he also highlights the importance of collaboration and community in the future of psychedelic therapy. Integrative Attachment Therapy was recommended as a sound training model to support those training in psychedelic integration.

“Psychedelics can help create the conditions for new opportunity” – Nigel Denning

Time Stamps for Unlocking the Potential of Psychedelics

04:37 The State of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Australia
13:46 Addressing Criticism and Skepticism: The Need for Scientific Explanation
21:58 Understanding the Effects of MDMA on the Brain
26:41 Understanding the Effects of Psilocybin on the Brain
29:31 The Importance of Set and Setting, Preparation, and Integration
32:41 Integration in Psychedelic Therapy
36:35 Concerns about Commercialization and Lack of Regulation
44:54 Training and Collaboration in Psychedelic Therapy
49:22 Psychotherapy as a Catalyst for Transformation and Resilience

About our Guest – Nigel Denning – Unlocking the Potential of Therapeutic Psychedelics

Nigel Denning is a counseling psychologist who runs Integrative Psychology in Melbourne, Australia. He earned a Masters degree in English literature before entering Psychology. Denning developed a national training psychedelic-assisted therapy for Mind Medicine Australia, which is described by Professor David Nutt as “the world’s best.” Denning is a clinical lead in three psychedelic trials and has developed an attachment training program with David Elliott. He also mediated a healing process with two large Catholic colleges with histories of employing pedophiles, as well as worked on the George Pell prosecution. Denning has worked in institutional abuse and was instrumental in dismantling a Hindu sex cult. He has lectured a many universities and ran professional training for the College of Counseling psychologists, and trains in Tibetan Bon DzogChen following his mentor, Daniel P. Brown.

Resources for Unlocking the Potential of Therapeutic Psychedelics Integrative Attachment Therapy Course Information Therapists: THIS is our recommended class for the most comprehensive training on attachment out there. It just so happens it is also Dennings recommended program as discussed in this. episode!   Use our link for a discount! 

Shadow Work and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies – Article from Mind Medicine Australia by Nigel Denning

Integrative Attachment Therapy (IAT) – Media Release

Integrative Psychology – Website & Resource

Previous episodes on psychedelic-assisted therapies to deepen your exploration:

Non-drug Psychedelic Therapy with Trey Ratcliff TU 129

A Dose of Hope TU Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy with Dan Engle 167

And of course, our book is also a great resource – it’s for professionals and life-long learners of all kinds. Get your copy of Secure Relating here!! If you’ve read it we’d love to hear from you and if you support it, PLEASE leave a review on either Amazon or Goodreads. Tk you!!

 

Events, Announcements & Resource Links 

From Triggers to Boundaries – Secure Relating in Tumultuous Times – Reserve your spot now!! – Join us for a live podcast recording bridging psychological research with real-world application. Ann and Sue will unpack the most practical aspects of modern attachment theory and relational neurobiology to help you navigate challenging times in everyday life.

Mind, Body, Social, & Spiritual Approaches for Healing Attachment: 30 World-Leading Pioneers Share Their Best Practices – Register now for the Holistic Attachment Summit!! – This summit will explore the most essential ideas in attachment theory, research, and how they can be applied to create deep and lasting healing for clients — enabling you to be at the forefront of evidence-based care. Click here to register!!

Trauma Therapy Directory – Resources for Trauma, PTSD, and Complex PTSD – Created by our friends at the Trauma Therapy Network!

Support this library of content at TU staying FREE and TOTALLY ACCESSIBLE by supporting our partners and the sponsors of today’s episode – 

– This beautiful space is the location for our LIVE PODCAST 9/5/24!  Community + wrap-around wellness including float tanks, ice baths, cedar plank saunas, IV infusions and ketamine.  Mention Therapist Uncensored at checkout for discounts off day experiences and to waive sign-up fees for membership.

Austin Women’s professional development summit – it’s a huge networking event 9/13/24!  Get your tickets now!

Coffee alternative powered by mushrooms!  Listeners get 20% off plus a free starter kit.  Piquelife.com/tu

 

Our favorite skin quencher.  Use the code TU when you checkout at oneskin.co

 

 

Thanks for listening, friends, & for being on this journey with us! 

Improv in Therapy and in Life – Explore the power – and sheer fun – of using improvisation in therapy!

Dr. Ann Kelley and Lisa Kays discuss how improv can deepen conversations around tough topics like race and oppression. They examine white supremacy culture and show how improv values like collaboration, slowing down, and embracing complexity can challenge these norms. Improv fosters creativity, playfulness, and self-reflection to help reduce defensiveness and strengthen relationships in everyday life, at work, or in our closest relationships. By creating a supportive, collaborative environment, improv deepens connections and helps people tap into a wider range of emotions.

“A culture of improvisation is collaborative – it is nature – you cannot do it by yourself.” – Lisa Kays Time Stamps for Improv in Therapy & Life

03:30 The integration of improv and tough conversations
10:03 The origins of improv and its connection to social justice
14:27 Contrasting white supremacy culture and improv culture
19:20 Questioning cultural norms and valuing relationships
25:29 The power of the ‘And’ in joining and connecting
38:27 The power of improv in building secure relationships
53:25 Embracing creativity and letting go of perfectionism
58:12 Creating a culture of support and collaboration
01:05:04 Applying improv in everyday life
01:09:10 Deepening connections and accessing different emotions

About our Guest for Improv Therapy – Lisa Kays LICSW, LCSW, LCSW-C

Lisa Kays, LICSW, LCSW-C, LCSW, is an independently licensed clinical social worker in Washington, D.C, Maryland, Virginia, Oregon and New Jersey. She obtained her MSW from Catholic University in 2011 and has worked in a variety of clinical settings. Since 2013, she has been in private practice, providing individual, couples and group therapy to adults. She has interest in social work ethic and has published on and leads ethics training on the intersection of technology, social media and social work ethics as well as anti-racism and systemic oppression. Her practice also provides opportunities for other presenters to develop CE trainings on under-taught topics linked to social justice, systemic racism, and oppression. In addition to her traditional psychotherapy work, Lisa was a performing improviser from 2007-2019 and was on the faculty of Washington Improv Theatre from 2008-2016. She developed Washington Improv Theater’s first Improv for Therapist’s class and has offered Improv for Therapists courses, workshops and trainings to individual clinicians, pastors, life coaches, and psychiatrists, as well as clinical agencies. Since its inception, Lisa has trained more than 500 people in the application of improvisation to foster personal growth and stronger and more cohesive groups. Lisa has been invited to lead trainings in improv-informed therapy at the American Academy of Psychotherapists, the Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Association, the American Group Psychotherapy Association, and at The Psychotherapy Networker, among others. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post and on NBC4. Recently, Lisa launched a humor, humility-infused podcast, “What if Nothing’s Wrong With You?” with co-host Paula D. Atkinson on themes related to therapy, mental health, oppression, patriarchy and how it’s all interconnected.

Resources for Improv Therapy – 

Lisa Kay’s – Website & Resources

The Fierce Urgency of Now: Improvisation, Rights, and the Ethics of Cocreation (Improvisation, Community, and Social Practice) – by Fischlin, Daniel; Heble, Ajah; Lipsitz, George

Theater Games – Viola Spolin Resources Rehearsals for Growth – Website and Educational Resources Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical Trauma, and Politicizing Your Practice – book by Jennifer Mullan, PsyD The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – Book and Resources Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art – Nachmanovitch, Stephen And of course, our book is also a great resource – it’s for professionals and life-long learners of all kinds. If you’ve read it we’d love to hear from you and if you support it, PLEASE leave a review on either Amazon or Goodreads. Tk you!!

Get your copy of Secure Relating here!! Therapists: This is our recommended class for going deeper and learning the most. You will not be disappointed! Use our link for a discount!  Dr. Elliott’s Integrative Attachment Therapy Course Information

 

Support this show staying FREE and TOTALLY ACCESSIBLE by supporting our partners and the sponsors of today’s episode

Go to puritywoods.com/TU or enter code TU at checkout for 27% off.

 

Go to helloned.com/TU or enter code TU at checkout for a discount.

 

Go to ZocDoc.com/TU

This is a no-brainer – use it to find just about any specialist you are looking for.

Thanks for listening, friends! 

Everyone is familiar with reacting “in the heat of the moment,” but do we really understand what that means? Regulation basics include the protection or connection pathways to interpersonal relating. With the high tension we're experiencing in the world today, it can feel particularly challenging to practice secure relating. We are re-sharing one of our impactful episodes where Ann Kelley and Sue Marriott explore the inner workings of our nervous system auto-pilot settings: protection vs connection.

Dr. Ann Kelley and Hyeseung Song, a first-generation Korean American discuss Hyeseung's experiences growing up as an Asian minority in America, touching on topics like racial stereotypes, assimilation, and the model minority myth. Hyeseung shares her journey of finding her voice and identity, highlighting the mental health challenges of navigating different cultures and the path to self-acceptance.

Enjoy this replay episode with Jan Winhall, as we explore how our bodies can guide us towards healing and growth through the concept of "felt sense." This approach integrates neuroscience and focuses on our innate ability to perceive and respond to our experiences. Winhall's work challenges conventional views on navigating challenges influenced by culture and trauma.

One of the many incredible aspects of this community are the people we are able to connect and learn with, like Robyn Gobbel. She is a licensed social worker, podcast host, keynote speaker, writer, trainer & consultant - and even host launch this spring. This episode, Ann and Sue joined her on her podcast, "The Baffling Behavior Show", to talk about secure relating.

As our schedules shift for summer, we think revisiting this episode with expert Lindsey Kealey is the perfect reminder. The warmer weather is great for vacations or some weekend fun in the sun, but we also know that the shift in schedule can be tough for parents and children. Little minds can have big feelings and in the spirit of secure relating, we are taking the opportunity to revisit strategies for teaching kids how to regulate their emotions and promote positive connection with others. Lindsey Kealey introduces a trauma-informed program grounded in neuroscience, employing social-emotional learning and problem-solving techniques to enhance decision-making and relational well-being. Through her Three C's approach - connect, calm, and collaborate - she aims to revolutionize interpersonal dynamics, empowering individuals to interact more positively with themselves and others.

This is our final part where we lean into the last section of the book to help us all build a deeper connection, Moving from individual to interpersonal and then societal levels, we discuss the complexities of human connection. Ann and Sue touch on leadership and the need for nuance in navigating today's challenges while aiming to expand beyond just the Western lens. Whether it be with your partner or even how you navigate your community - building security helps us find a state of curiosity, openness, and wonder.

Following the launch of the book, our virtual party, and our Modern Attachment conference in Austin, TX, Ann and Sue open with gratitude from the event, and for the overwhelming outpour of love and support from our community and those who help inspire this content. As we dive into more chapters of the book, we lean into understanding the attachment spectrum colors, recognizing what is happening internally when we feel activated, and shifting activation levels.

After years of hard work, Sue and Ann could not be more excited to celebrate the release of their book. This episode discusses the themes and concepts, while emphasizing the importance of secure relating and holding one's own in an insecure world. They highlight the need for connection, collaboration, and tolerance in order to overcome division and polarization. Listen and explore their overview of the three sections of the book, and how they each represent a stage in the process of healing and personal growth.

Over 100 episodes after their last interview, Ann and Sue are thrilled to be back discussing all things attachment with Dr. David Elliott. Together they delve into the Three Pillars therapy model development, centered around three key elements: enhancing collaboration, fostering metacognition, and constructing new internal working models through imagery. Dr. Elliott elaborates on how the therapeutic journey prioritizes the therapeutic alliance, perspective-taking, and employing mental imagery to cultivate fresh attachment dynamics.

Ann and Sue are back for another deep dive, this time on all things information processing. Using the concept of sunglasses as a metaphor for information distortion, they explain how our internal working models and attachment experiences shape the way we perceive and interpret information. The sunglasses represent different states of activation, with clear glasses indicating a secure state and aviator sunglasses representing a defensive, self-protective state. Sunglasses can affect our relationships - but they don't have to stop us from building healthy connections. Follow along as we explore the importance of curiosity, self-reflection, and open-mindedness in navigating relationships.

Ann and Sue delve into the pressing emotional and social challenges confronting our world today. They examine the impact of divisive political rhetoric, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, collective distrust, and widespread trauma on individuals and society as a whole. Emphasizing the necessity of self-awareness and accountability, they underscore the role each person plays in contributing to collective healing and regulation. Throughout their conversation, Ann and Sue stress the importance of vulnerability, genuine connection, and the pursuit of healing as essential components of addressing systemic issues and promoting relational solutions. They also tackle the complexities of polarization, advocating for open-mindedness, nuance, and empathy in navigating ideological differences and fostering constructive dialogue. Explore the transformative potential of emotions like anger and the power of connection and love in driving positive societal change.

Join Dr. Ann Kelley and Dr. David Spiegel as they dive into the benefits and misconceptions of hypnosis. Hypnosis is a state of highly focused attention and cognitive flexibility, allowing individuals to explore new possibilities. Whether it's trouble with sleep, intense anxiety, or a need to break bad habits, hypnosis has proven to be an effective tool for many. Dr. Spiegel has dedicated years of research and emphasizes the importance of accessibility to hypnosis in our healthcare systems. His app R E V E R I has over 1 million downloads and allows you to rewire your brain, conquer negative habits, and achieve personal growth from home.

Join co-host Sue Marriott and Dr. Shena Young as they dive into liberation psychology and the conflict between intuition and the traditional European model of psychology. Dr. Shena highlights embodying a holistic approach to help heal traumas and deeply root us in our most authentic selves. Whether through connections with nature and/or the exploration of ancestral traditions, this discussion is enriched with various opportunities to reconnect and liberate our mind, body, heart, and spirit. Secure your copy of our book, Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World at SecureRelatingBook.com

We’re back with long-time friend of the podcast and expert, Juliane Taylor Shore LMFT, LPC, SEP. As we reflect on our episode from six years ago on boundaries, we dive into new knowledge and how we can create boundaries that stick. Juliane Taylor Shore blends her original methods like "the jello wall" with new research to share exciting and thoughtful insight on how through boundaries we can harness compassion in our relationships with others and ourselves.

This is part two of a two-part series with the founder of Inclusive Therapists, Melody and TU Co-host, Sue Marriott. This episode features challenging yet important conversations on active anti-racist practices, exploration of oppression, and dismantling whiteness in mental health structures. Melody emphasizes the need for white clinicians to examine their own complicity in upholding oppressive systems and to listen to and center the experiences of marginalized communities. They also highlight the interconnectedness of healing and the power of collective liberation through rehumanizing. Pre-order your copy of Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World at SecureRelatingBook.com

series with the founder of Inclusive Therapists, Melody and TU Co-host, Sue Marriott. We are pushing for more inclusive, anti-racist, and decolonialized practices.The conversation is  challenging but important as we explore liberation psychology that helps us recognize and unlearn patterns of thinking that are rooted in colonization and European Western education. You may not agree with everything this guest says but you will learn something and likely feel quite a lot. Discomfort is a necessary part of liberating ourselves from engrained traditional patriarchal and white supremist thinking that continues to harm so many. Don't forget to help us reach our goal - if you appreciate TU, then please pre-order your copy of Secure Relating today & help raise the bar of secure relating in the world. www.SecureRelatingBook.com

While Ann and Sue are in DC at the American Group Psychotherapy Association Conference, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to replay one of our favorite episodes. Co-hosts Sue Marriott and Patty Olwell interview colleagues at the American Group Psychotherapy 2016 Association Annual Meeting in New York. They talk about why they love group therapy and why it is so valuable to their clients. We want to thank our interviewees for their help and insights.

Co-hosts Ann and Sue discuss the power of intentional journaling as a tool for recovery with Dr. James Pennebaker. While journaling is not a simple "elixir" to cure mental or physical illness, Dr. Pennebaker has dedicated years of research and found it to be an effective method of healing for many people. Writing without boundaries or expectations can allow us to enter a stream of consciousness and better process our feelings and experiences of trauma.

Boundaries are important. Therapist Uncensored co-hosts Ann Kelley and Sue Marriott join the founder of IPNB Psychotherapy of Austin, Dr. Juliane Taylor Shore, in a discussion on interpersonal neurobiology and how it relates to boundaries. They explore 3 types of boundaries, how to co-create boundaries, and how to stay regulated using internal mechanisms. Learn to build your own “Jello wall” and better co-regulate you and others when you’re overwhelmed! More at www.therapistuncensored.com/episodes

25.6% of adults who have had COVID-19 report having experienced long Covid (source). While there are a variety of symptoms and severities that come with the illness, it doesn't erase the physical and mental toll it can take on one's life. In this episode, Ann and Sue take their research as well as personal experience with the illness and discuss the stigmas, advocating for your health, being a supportive caregiver, and secure relating in regards to chronic disease.

We are kicking off the new year with a special conversation between co-host Sue Marriott and special guest Jeff Lutes. Both members of the LGBTQ+ community, this discussion dives into raising families, the evolution of the community, allyship, gender, and the importance of advocacy. While there has been some progress, the LGBTQ+ community still actively faces discrimination. Whether you're a practicing therapist with clients in the community or have LGBTQ-identifying loved ones, this episode is for you. Through a personal and professional lens, this conversation offers new perspectives and shines a light on the significance of staying educated and being an active voice.

Ann and Sue look back at important episodes from this year, review lessons learned, and exciting announcements to come in 2024.

Hair-pulling, skin picking, and cheek, lip, & cuticle biting are self-soothing strategies that depending on the degree can become body-focused repetitive behavioral disorders. Learn about a new attachment-informed psychodynamic model for treating these painful, shame-associated behaviors in our conversation today with Sue Marriott and Stacy Nakell.

While just the word vulnerability can trigger our defenses, it can also be a great gateway to secure relating and deepening the connection with our authentic selves. In a society heavily influenced by social media, unhealthy gender roles, and many other factors - Ann and Sue dive into the importance of changing the narrative and stepping out of our defensive invulnerable state and into our healthy, vulnerable selves.

Relating from a place of inner security is not about an attachment category, and it can't stop with us as individuals. Ann and Sue share exciting news and community updates for TU. With secure relating at the forefront, this episode includes a sneak peek into the structure of their new book, Secure Relating Holding Your Own in an Insecure World. They explain the three R healing spiral, cultivating community, and much more! Now is a great time to join our online Neuronerd community www.therapistuncensored.com/join! Find shownotes at www.therapistuncensored.com/tu218.

Tune in as we follow up on last week's episode, and sit down with amygdala expert, Dr. Joseph LeDoux. We discuss the non-conscious versus unconscious, protein synthesis, the differences between fear and threat, and how it all applies in the world of attachment.

Explore the evolution and science behind Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) with Dr. Laurel Parnell and Dr. Ann Kelley.

Attachment 'insecurity" is partly a manifestation of unresolved stress patterns in the child and, by extension, the family. Therapists usually think of stress as interpersonal and dyadic, but you can't isolate individuals from context. We talk about context a lot when it comes to attachment - the circumstances or setting which helps to understand a process more deeply. As Sharon Lambert says in today's episode, you can't "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" if you have no boots. Sue Marriott and Sharon Lambert discuss the unconscious bootstraps communities have that cause blame towards those who are struggling.

We aren't one thing and getting to know our different parts is an effective technique to deepen healing. These "parts" are metaphorical "little beings" that live in our minds and manifest into physical or emotional reactions from traumatic events. Dr. Frank Anderson has spent decades of his life studying these parts and sharing his findings to help others utilize built-in resources like their "self-energy" to navigate their own traumas. Join us as Sue Marriott and Dr. Anderson weave together psycho-pharmacology, trauma, neuroscience, attachment, and internal family systems. More at www.therapistuncensored.com/episodes

The idea of adding 30 minutes of extra meditation to our already busy schedules can feel overwhelming - but Jake Eagle has dedicated years to his research and found the mindfulness loophole. Awe is an incredibly powerful tool that can over time help us rewire our brains and build security within. Eagle is here to prove that awe is not only meant to be found in grand moments like standing at the top of a mountain or hearing your favorite musician live - but in the tiny fragments of our everyday life. Awe is accessible to us each day, and in this episode, Dr. Ann Kelley and Jake Eagle explore strategies like the "A Method" to incorporate mindfulness into our daily routines. These methods can help to ease the tension of the autopilot mode in our brains, reduce inflammation throughout the body, and equip us with the tools to have deeper, more meaningful connections.

Conflict in relationships is inevitable – find out the ins and outs of repair for healthy relationships.

We are back with relationship expert, Dr. Stan Tatkin to explore the inner workings of relationships from a biological and societal perspective, and his new book, In Each Other’s Care. All humans are complicated creatures and if we spend enough time with each other, it’s going to get tense.  That part is OK, but what happens after arguing disconnection or tension is what really matters.

Sue Marriott & Dr. Tatkin take a deep dive into addressing conflicts, building secure attachments, and abandoning gender stereotypes for a more inclusive discussion. Follow along to explore healthy interdependence, couples’ purpose, and secure functioning.

“A secure functioning partnership works on problems, not each other” – Dr. Stan Tatkin

Time Stamps for In Each Other’s Care – Healthy Relationships 

5:44 – Dr. Tatkin’s view on telehealth & virtual therapy

8:36 – How PACT approaches virtual therapy

16:05 – Understanding procedural memory 

19:08 – Break down of insecure attachment 

22:53 – What does secure functioning look like?

28:48 – Attachment in polyamorous relationships 

37:47 – Exploring healthy interdependence in relationships

44:50 – An example of a couple’s purpose

53:41 – The importance of gender inclusivity when talking about relationships

Resources for today’s episode, In Each Other’s Care – Healthy Relationships

Stan Tatkin’s Website – Information about his practice, sessions

The PACT Institute – Dr. Tatkin’s official website

Relationships are Hard, but Why? – Dr. Tatkin’s TedTalk

A free excerpt – from Dr. Tatkin’s new book

@DrStanTatkin – Instagram account

Dr. Stan Tatkin – Facebook Page

@DrStanTatkin – Twitter account

Dr. Stan Tatkin – LinkedIn account

Dr. Tatkin’s newest book.

 

 

 

About our Guest – Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT

Clinician, author, researcher, PACT developer, and co-founder of the PACT Institute.  Dr. Tatkin is an assistant clinical professor at UCLA, David Geffen School of Medicine.  He maintains a private practice in Southern California and leads PACT programs in
the US and internationally. He is the author of We Do, Wired for Love, Your Brain on Love, Relationship Rx, Wired for Dating, What Every Therapist Ought to Know, and co-author of Love and War in Intimate Relationships, and the recent, In Each Other’s Care.

If you enjoyed this one then catch our other interviews with Stan Tatkin.  He has a great take on applying the principles of relational neurobiology to real life – check it out.  

https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu121-the-purpose-of-relationships-redefined-during-quarantine-with-stan-tatkin/

https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu12-if-its-not-good-for-you-its-not-good-for-us-interview-with-relationship-expert-stan-tatkin/

We support mental health access to those traditionally left out of mainstream healthcare and use a portion of the income we receive from corporate sponsors to do just that!  We can only do that with the help of our Patrons – joining as a TU Neuronerd Podsquad premium subscriber, you support this mission and get a dedicated ad-free feed plus occasional very cool and unique study opportunities, reading groups and who knows what else may come!  We invite you to join our community. Click here to join! 

Click here to view today’s episode Transcripts 

Please consider giving to Mental Health Liberation

We support mental health access to those traditionally left out of mainstream healthcare and use a portion of the income we receive from corporate sponsors to do just that!  We can only do that with the help of our Patrons – joining as a TU Neuronerd Podsquad premium subscriber, you support this mission and get a dedicated ad-free feed plus occasional very cool and unique study opportunities, reading groups, and unique surprises!  We invite you to join our community. Click here to join! 

Mental Health Liberation is our charity of choice – please consider giving whatever you can to support mental health access for those traditionally left behind and support training for BIPOC therapists.

The Barbie movie through a secure-relating lens patriarchy, masculinity, happiness, and freedom from gender scripts with Liz Plank & Sue & Ann.

Learn from THE OG attachment research expert! Learn about pathological mourning and preoccupied suffering when it comes to attachment in this interview with expert Dr. Carol George. She sits down for the second time with Sue Marriott to explore her inspiration for writing her new book and to share tips for applying the information in a clinical setting. With her decades of research, Dr. George offers thorough insights into the world of attachment, trauma, and building security. Shownotes www.therapistuncensored.com/tu210; Bonus content www.therapistuncensored.com/join

Wanting to learn more about attachment? This is the episode for you!

This is a follow-up to our previous episode on recognizing secure states of mind. If you’re a regular listener, you know we talk a lot about attachment – but what is it exactly? This episode is a refresher course where we break down what it is, what it isn’t, attachment spectrums, embodied stories, and much more. Whether you’re more advanced in your knowledge of the topic or starting fresh – this is a great place to connect and better understand how attachment plays a role in our lives.

“We are social beings, but we have to be social beings. This isn’t a choice, it isn’t an option. And our incredibly intuitive pre-programmed body knows that from in utero on – it’s in our wiring.” – Dr. Ann Kelley

Time Stamps for Attachment Basics

1:17 – What is attachment?

4:29 – Why you should care about attachment

6:07 – Early attachment and its effect on our development

7:46 – Attachment is not the same thing as love

10:16 – Why we want to avoid attachment “categories”

15:29 – Example of embodied stories

20:48 – Understanding the protection system and connection system

26:22 – Utilizing curiosity to build secure attachment

28:01 – What is a coherent narrative?

39:10 – Recognizing patterns in your nervous system behaviors

Resources for Attachment Basics 

The Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation in the United States – Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy Calls for Action to Address Public Health Crisis

John Bowlby’s Attachment theory – A summary of Bowlby’s theory

Mary Ainsworth Strange Situation – A summary of Ainsworth’s theory & experiment

If you enjoyed this one you’ll love these: 

https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/secure-attachment/

https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu151-secure-parenting-dan-siegel-tina-payne-bryson-replay/

https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/secure-relating-not-the-same-as-secure-attachment-with-ann-sue-190/

https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu-149-modern-attachment-regulation-spectrum-an-integrated-model-of-change/

https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu126-modern-attachment/

https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/attachment-through-the-lifespan-alan-sroufe/

Click here to view today’s episode transcripts!!

Please consider giving to Mental Health Liberation

 

We support mental health access to those traditionally left out of mainstream healthcare and use a portion of the income we receive from corporate sponsors to do just that!  We can only do that with the help of our Patrons – joining as a TU Neuronerd Podsquad premium subscriber, you support this mission and get a dedicated ad-free feed plus occasional very cool and unique study opportunities, reading groups, and unique surprises!  We invite you to join our community. Click here to join! 

What is secure attachment and how can I grow my own capacity for security?

We’ve covered the different protection and connection strategies – preoccupied (red on the spectrum), dismissing (blue on the spectrum), and unresolved (tie-dye), but today’s episode is all about what secure attachment actually looks like in daily life. You’ve experienced the continuum from red, blue, or even tie-dye, but how do you know when you’re in your green? A securely attached system doesn’t mean you’re never upset – it’s about having the ability to stay engaged while you have big feelings.  In this episode, Ann and Sue discuss what this can look like conversationally, conditions that promote a secure base in parenting, and how to check in with yourself and deepen your connection with others.

Security feels like: ‘people are generally trustworthy, and so am I’ – Dr. Ann Kelley

Time Stamps for Secure Attachment

2:06 – What does security look like?

2:39 – Reminder of red and blue meanings in attachment

6:46 – Sue’s Bigfoot attachment analogy

8:27 – A secure attachment base is not the same as feeling securely attached

9:19 – The importance of integration and security

12:23 – Example of “joining” in conversation

19:39 – Understanding the attachment continuum

27:40 – Interactive questions to gauge your security

34:47 – Insightful questions to ask peers about influence

37:11 – Sue’s physical queues to know she’s in the green

39:37 – The role of curiosity in your green state

43:18 – Tracking your activation exercise

Resources for Secure Attachment

https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu151-secure-parenting-dan-siegel-tina-payne-bryson-replay/

https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/secure-relating-not-the-same-as-secure-attachment-with-ann-sue-190/

https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu-149-modern-attachment-regulation-spectrum-an-integrated-model-of-change/

 

Secure Attachment & Recognizing Secure States of Mind with Ann & Sue – Transcripts

Please consider giving to Mental Health Liberation

 

We support mental health access to those traditionally left out of mainstream healthcare and use a portion of the income we receive from corporate sponsors to do just that!  We can only do that with the help of our Patrons – joining as a TU Neuronerd Podsquad premium subscriber, you support this mission and get a dedicated ad-free feed plus occasional very cool and unique study opportunities, reading groups, and unique surprises!  We invite you to join our community. Click here to join! 

The neuroscience of awe as an antidote to our stress response system

In this series, Secure Relating in an Insecure World, we’ve covered tough topics head-on. It is, therefore, fitting that we close the series with something scientifically hopeful to help us stay in our secure selves so we can stay engaged and active as social advocates and not collapse in overwhelm.

The science of this specific feeling of awe has garnered much attention for good reason.  Our guest today has spent decades exploring the sensation and documenting how to develop it in everyday life. We have all experienced these small moments that allow us to shift our mindset away from ourselves and into something so bigger. Co-hosts Sue Marriott and Dr. Ann Kelley discuss the power of awe with guest expert Dr. Dacher Keltner where they explore the science, the mystical and the hope of awe as an inspirational tool for collective healing.

“You can be outdoors by yourself, you can be listening to an amazing passage of music, you can think about somebodywhose life really inspires you. You have this urge to connect, to be part of community, to be good to other people, to share with other people, to make the world and your community a little bit better – that tells us something fundamental about the DNA of Awe.” – Dr. Dacher Keltner

Time Stamps for Awe

2:15 – What is awe?

3:31 – Physiology during moments of awe

8:21 – One of Dr. Keltner’s most striking discoveries about awe

8:57 – Understanding everyday awe

10:11 – The role of curiosity in awe

13:31 – The power of music

14:27 – The 8 wonders that bring us awe

21:20 – Collective effervescence

25:38 – Alan Cowen & Dacher Keltner’s experiential maps

27:36 – Awe in animals

32:16 – How awe can sometimes lead you astray

40:17 – Using awe as a tool for younger generations

Resources for today’s episode on the feeling of “awe”

DacherKeltner.com – Personal website full of research, books, videos, and other resources 

Greater Good Science Center – Resource center with podcasts, quizzes, articles & videos 

Science of Happiness – Podcast by the Great Good Network 

AlanCowen.com – Visuals of mapping emotion

You can purchase his most recent book, here!!

About our Guest – Dr. Dacher Keltner

Dr. Keltner is one of the world’s foremost emotion scientists. He is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Greater Good Science Center. He has over 200 scientific publications and six books, including Born to Be Good, The Compassionate Instinct, and The Power Paradox. He has written for many popular outlets, from The New York Times to Slate. He was also the scientific advisor behind Pixar’s Inside Out, is involved with the education of healthcare providers and judges, and has consulted extensively for Google, Apple, and Pinterest, on issues related to emotion and well-being.

 

 

We support mental health access to those traditionally left out of mainstream healthcare and use a portion of the income we receive from corporate sponsors to do just that!  We can only do that with the help of our Patrons – joining as a TU Neuronerd Podsquad premium subscriber, you support this mission and get a dedicated ad-free feed plus occasional very cool and unique study opportunities, reading groups and who knows what else may come!  We invite you to join our community. Click here to join! 

Click here for Awe – Dr. Dacher Keltner – Transcripts 

Please consider giving to Mental Health Liberation

We support mental health access to those traditionally left out of mainstream healthcare and use a portion of the income we receive from corporate sponsors to do just that!  We can only do that with the help of our Patrons – joining as a TU Neuronerd Podsquad premium subscriber, you support this mission and get a dedicated ad-free feed plus occasional very cool and unique study opportunities, reading groups, and unique surprises!  We invite you to join our community. Click here to join! 

Mental Health Liberation is our charity of choice – please consider giving whatever you can to support mental health access for those traditionally left behind and support training for BIPOC therapists.

It didn’t start with you, but it can end with you – we can begin healing intergenerational trauma together

Linda Thai, a Vietnamese Australian trauma therapist living on Native lands in Alaska, shares her journey to self-discovery as she navigates her own identity in the aftermath of her early childhood trauma. She shared words of wisdom about grief and developmental trauma as well as intergenerational and ancestral trauma, touching on the immigrant experience and family dynamics. Through various brain and body-based strategies (click here for a link to free videos she offers that are highly recommended), she reclaims the unresolved ancestral grief and trauma in her lineage and inspires others to incorporate historical awareness, including the impact of colonialism.

“My parents are trauma survivors and I had no idea. And I’m living the aftermath of what that means. So with each stage of the journey or each layer of the unfolding – there are parts of myself that begin to open up to this new world” – Linda Thai 

Time Stamps for Healing Intergenerational Trauma 

1:31 – Linda Thai’s life journey

4:04 – Unpacking racialized traumas

6:17 – Understanding culturally informed psychology vs liberation psychology

19:41 – A new perspective on grief

28:56 – The responsibility of the community healing

34:16 – Building secure relating beyond human connection

44:48 – Interpreting the nervous system’s responses to excitement and aggression

49:25 – Leaning into your own feeling of emergence

55:48 – True allyship is a process

Resources for Transgenerational Trauma 

TRF Tuesday – Movement, Breath, and Sound for Transforming Grief (Collection) – 6-session program & resource guide (Sue highly recommends!)

LindaThai.com – Website with resources, newsletter & contact information

“The Body Keeps the Score” – Impactful book that helped Linda Thai recognize her trauma

Dr. Kenneth V. Hardy – Author, Professor & Director of the Eikenberg Institute

“The Loneliest Americans” – Book by Jay Caspian Kang

About our Guest – Linda Thai 

Linda Thai, LMSW ERYT-200 is a trauma therapist and educator specializing in brain and body-based modalities for addressing complex developmental and intergenerational trauma. Linda has worked with thousands of people worldwide to promote mindfulness, recover from trauma, and tend to grief as a means of self-care. Linda’s work centers on healing with a special focus on the experiences of adult children of refugees and immigrants. Her teaching is infused with empathy, storytelling, humor, research, practical tools, applied knowledge, and experiential wisdom. She assists internationally renowned psychiatrist and trauma expert, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, with his private small-group psychotherapy workshops aimed at healing attachment trauma. She has a Master of Social Work with an emphasis on the neurobiology of attachment and trauma. Linda has studied Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing, Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems, Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment, Havening Touch, Flash Technique, and structural dissociation of the personality, and offers the Safe and Sound Protocol, yoga, and meditation within her practice. Linda works on the traditional lands of the Tanana Athabascan people (Fairbanks, Alaska) with those recovering from addiction, trauma, and mental illness. She is passionate about breaking the cycle of historical and intergenerational trauma at the individual and community levels.

Check out Intergenerational Trauma – Linda Thai Transcripts, here!!  We support mental health access to those traditionally left out of mainstream healthcare and use a portion of the income we receive from corporate sponsors to do just that!  We can only do that with the help of our Patrons – joining as a TU Neuronerd Podsquad premium subscriber, you support this mission and get a dedicated ad-free feed plus occasional very cool and unique study opportunities, reading groups and who knows what else may come!  We invite you to join our community. Click here to join! 

It shouldn’t have to be so scary to address the elephant in the room – and we’re here to do just that on the environmental crisis

It is easy to shy away from tough conversations about the state of our world. Leaning into defenses – like resisting the conversation – can feel like the most comfortable option, but these discussions are vital in healing our planet. A lack of security within ourselves trickles into our relationships and limits the ways we can make collective change. Dr. Ann Kelley and Dr. Anna Graybeal discuss the necessary steps to building security and embracing tough conversations within our communities. This conversation takes a scientific and therapy-based approach to guide us toward the big emotions around these topics and equips us with the tools to cope with uncertainties, and an opportunity to learn how to harness healthy discussions around the climate crisis. When we can address the resistance within ourselves, we can use that as fuel to unite and heal our planet, our well-being, and our relationships.

“I think the only way to really deal with these tough feelings is to not be alone with them.” – Dr. Anna Graybeal

Time Stamps

3:02 – Graybeal’s personal journey exploring climate crisis

7:51 – Participating in Citizens’ Climate Lobby

10:58 – Facing the awareness in our own activism

12:00 – Validating the resistance within ourselves

14:43 – Joining in the resistance

19:36 – Professor Katharine Hayhoe’s perspective

26:53 – Helping clients process climate crisis emotions in group therapy

31:09 – Climate conversation training group for therapists

33:58 – Introduction to the Good Grief network

35:44 – The challenge of making change as a collective

38:17 – Explanation of “greenwashing”

Resources

Citizens’ Climate Lobby – Nonprofit Advocate Group

IPCC Report: Climate Change and Land – Special Report

Climate Psychology Alliance – Climate Directory

Good Grief Network – Non-Profit Advocate Group

The Work that Reconnects – Resource Network

All We Can Save Circles – Discussion Groups

CA Institute of Integral Studies Climate Psychology Certificate Program – Application & Information

Katharine Hayhoe –  Climate Scientist Website

Katharine Hayhoe – Ted Talk – “The Most Important Thing You Can Do to Fight Climate Change”

Tradewater – Calculate your emissions

About our Guest – Dr. Anna Graybeal 

Anna Graybeal is a Clinical Psychologist and Certified Group Therapist in private practice in Austin, Texas. She is also a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. In 2012, she co-founded the Austin chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a volunteer-based organization working on climate change. Anna can be reached at anna@annagraybeal.com. Her website is www. annagraybeal.com.

Check out Dr. Anna Graybeal’s Episode Transcripts Here!! We support mental health access to those traditionally left out of mainstream healthcare and use a portion of the income we receive from corporate sponsors to do just that!  We can only do that with the help of our Patrons – joining as a TU Neuronerd Podsquad premium subscriber, you support this mission and get a dedicated ad-free feed plus occasional very cool and unique study opportunities, reading groups and who knows what else may come!  We invite you to join our community. Click here to join! 

Secure Relating in an Insecure World (SRIW) Series episode #3, Part 2 of 2 (203/204).

This episode is Part II of Racial Trauma, linked with Ep 203.  To make sure you are paying attention 🙂 we are running a series, Secure Relating in an Insecure World, and this is Ep 3 of that series.  Today’s episode is also 2 of 2 in the conversation about racial trauma. Yea, we have so many ideas around here about going deep, and this wasn’t our clearest move having a series within a series, but we trust you all. You’ve got this!!  Also, it seemed wrong to make you wait 2 weeks for the rest of this 2 part conversation so we are dropping it in more quickly and will go back to our normal pace of every other week on Tuesdays from here.  We hope you enjoy it – it’s a good one!

This a continuation of our previous discussion with Gliceria Pérez & Debra Chatman-Finley where we explore other lasting effects of racial trauma. From the challenges of parenting with an unresolved trauma history to navigating day-to-day as a person of color, they use group therapy as an opportunity to make space for women to vocalize their pain and build community. Gliceria and Debra share personal stories and real-life examples of microaggressions and discrimination and offer insightful ways white individuals can acknowledge their privilege and cultivate an inclusive community.

“That angry part of you – it is just that, a part of you, it’s not all of you – it’s a protector. You don’t have to shy away from it.” – Debra Chatman-Finley

Time Stamps for Racial Trauma Part 2

7:55 – Non-traditional aspects of their BIPOC group sessions

10:29 – Explanation of VCR: validate, challenge & request

11:49 – Challenges in validating anger

13:47 – Ways white therapists can create a safer environment

18:39 – Traumas effect on parenting

23:58 – Misconceptions about disassociating and attitude

27:26 – How these sessions impacted Debra’s personal healing journey

29:07 – Acknowledging trauma responses in the workplace

33:55 – Differences in racial trauma

40:37 – Attachment and racial trauma

46:18 – Explanation of Janina Fisher’s chart

Resources for Racial Trauma Part 2  Therapy Wisdom – Online Training Trauma, PTSD & Disassociation – Certified Program BIPOCINGtherapists@gmail.com – Contact Information About Our Guests – Debra Chatman-Finley, LPC & Gliceria Pérez, LCS

Debra Chatman- Finley is a Licensed Professional Counselor and National Board-Certified Counselor in private practice in Montclair, NJ. She is an Adjunct professor at New York University where she teaches Racial and Social Micro Aggression in Clinical Practice. She is the former Director of Clinical Services for a domestic violence agency, that provides counseling services for domestic violence victims. Debra earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Seton Hall University and her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the College of Saint Elizabeth. She is also a graduate and former Associate Faculty at the Multicultural Family Institute. Debra is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and received her Certification in Traumatic Stress from the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute in Boston, Mass. Debra’s study in traumatic stress strengthened her desire to integrate trauma and racial justice. She has devoted much of her practice and studies to the impact of race in the therapeutic process and the effects of racial trauma on POC, specifically, African American women, and parenting. Debra has also facilitated numerous workshops such as Racism, Culture, and Dissociation, Being BIPOPC: The Ongoing Challenges of Visibility vs Invisibility, Wounded Parenting: The Intersection of Complex and Racial Trauma in Parents of Color, A Therapist Path to Exploring Implicit Bias and Racial Trauma, Micro-Aggressions In Clinical Practice, Unmasking Race With Interracial Couples, Making the Invisible Visible, Beyond 20/20Vision: Examining Racism Through Trauma Lens. Debra and her colleague are in the process of writing about their non-Eurocentric facilitation of a support Group for Women of Color. She also provides Clinical consultation for BIPOC Clinicians around issues of race and trauma as well as other clinical concerns.

Gliceria Pérez is a bilingual trauma-focused therapist who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. She has over 30 years of experience in social work fields of mental health, trauma, domestic violence, adoption, immigration, and child abuse/neglect. Gliceria has provided case management and therapeutic services to immigrant children, adolescents, and adults in various community settings, in-home, and schools. She is committed to providing high-quality therapeutic services with a social justice perspective. Gliceria maintains a private practice in New Jersey where she works passionately with Black, Indigenous People of Color as well as other individuals/communities who have suffered from mental health issues (depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc.) in addition to racial trauma. Before becoming a therapist, Gliceria was a Director of Residential Services at a domestic violence program where she worked collaboratively to improve the services to include underserved communities. Since 2015, Gliceria has been an Adjunct Faculty at New York University Silver School of Social Work, where she teaches Racial and Social Class Microaggressions in Clinical Practice. Gliceria is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and has completed the Certificate Program in Traumatic Stress Studies at JRI (Boston, MA), the Certificate Program at the Multicultural Family Institute Program, and the second level of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Trauma Program at the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute (New York, NY). She’s in the process of completing the third level of Janina Fisher’s Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST) Program. Gliceria has facilitated workshops/presentations, which include: “Being BIPOC: The Ongoing Challenges of Visibility and Invisibility,” “A Therapist Path for Exploring Implicit Bias and Racial Trauma,” “Adelantar La Raza/Advance the Race: An Afro-Cuban American Experience,” “Micro-aggressions: Making the Invisible Visible,” and “Wounded Parenting: The Intersections of Complex and Racial Trauma in Parents of Color.” Gliceria is in the process of co-writing a book with Debra Chatman on their non-Eurocentric facilitation of a support group for Women of Color.

 

Give to Mental Health Liberation, TU’s charity of choice

 

Articles & Books Recommended by Debra & Gliceria 

Anderson, C. and Gibson, P. (2016). White rage: the unspoken truth of our racial divide. Bloomsbury  USA.

Degruy, J. (2018). Posttraumatic slave syndrome: America’s legacy of enduring injury and healing.  Joy Degruy Publications Inc.

DiAngelo, R. (2021).  Nice Racism: how progressive white people perpetuate racial harm. Penguin Books.

Fisher, J. (2017). Healing the fragmented selves of trauma survivors: overcoming internal self-alienation. Routledge.

Niemann et al. (2020). Presumed incompetent II: race, class, power and resistance of women in academia.  Utah State University Press

Gutiérrez, N.Y. (2022). The pain we carry: healing from complex PTSD for people of color. New Harbinger Publications.

Hardy, K.V. (2023). Racial Trauma: clinical strategies and techniques for healing invisible wounds.  W.W. Norton & Company.

Hardy, K.V. (2022). The enduring, invisible, and ubiquitous centrality of whiteness implications for clinical practice and beyond.  W.W. Norton & Company.

Heiman, M. (2022). Learning to live in harmony with ourselves A primer for trauma survivors & those who dissociate. Mermaid Publisher.

Menakem, R. (2017). My grandmother’s hands: racialized trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies. Penguin Books.

Saad, L. (2020). Me and my white supremacy: how to recognize your privilege, combat racism and change the world. Quercus. 

Sue et al. (2020). Microaggressions in Everyday Life.  John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

View the transcripts for Racial Trauma Part 2 here!! We support mental health access to those traditionally left out of mainstream healthcare and use a portion of the income we receive from corporate sponsors to do just that!  We can only do that with the help of our Patrons – joining as a TU Neuronerd Podsquad premium subscriber, you support this mission and get a dedicated ad-free feed plus occasional very cool and unique study opportunities, reading groups and unique surprises!  We invite you to join our community. Click here to join! 

We are a Supporter, please be one, too!

 

 

Mental Health Liberation is our charity of choice – please consider giving whatever you can to support mental health access for those traditionally left behind and support training for BIPOC therapists

 

Secure Relating in an Insecure World (SRIW) Series episode #1.

 

Debra Chatman-Finley LPC and Gliceria Pérez LCSW highlight their similarities and differences of being BIPOC women in the United States and encourage an open discussion about racism in our institutions. As they reflect on their careers and experiences, they provide perspectives on how they have navigated their identity and health amidst microaggressions and help us unravel the whitewashing of their cultures. From corporate America to working in child protective services, this discussion is full of painful yet common experiences of discrimination, intimidation, and blatant inequality against people of color – including in “safe” mental health spaces.

“Being authentic is the key piece in working with people of color – because of our intergenerational traumas and all of the racism – we’ve had to learn how to detect whether we’re gonna be safe or not.” – Gliceria Pérez

Time Stamps for Authentically BIPOC: Racial Trauma Part 1 

1:32 – Gliceria’s background

5:03 – Debra’s background

11:12 – Gliceria’s anecdote about racial discrimination while working at CPS

13:12 – Debra’s experience with racism in a corporate setting

23:27 – Debra’s catalyst for switching to private practice

28:44 – How microaggressions affect your sense of self

30:49 – Understanding colorization

33:35 – Similarities and differences of experiences as a POC

43:31 – The importance of working on your racial identity

44:35 – Microaggressions in Everyday Life

50:50 – “Your story is as much in the room as your client”

Resources for Authentically BIPOC: Racial Trauma Part 1  Therapy Wisdom – Online Training Trauma, PTSD & Disassociation – Certified Program BIPOCINGtherapists@gmail.com – Contact Information SEE THE READING LIST BELOW About Our Guests – Debra Chatman-Finley, LPC & Gliceria Pérez, LCS

Debra Chatman- Finley is a Licensed Professional Counselor and National Board-Certified Counselor in private practice in Montclair, NJ. She is an Adjunct professor at New York University where she teaches Racial and Social Micro Aggression in Clinical Practice. She is the former Director of Clinical Services for a domestic violence agency, that provides counseling services for domestic violence victims. Debra earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Seton Hall University and her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the College of Saint Elizabeth. She is also a graduate and former Associate Faculty at the Multicultural Family Institute. Debra is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and received her Certification in Traumatic Stress from the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute in Boston, Mass. Debra’s study in traumatic stress strengthened her desire to integrate trauma and racial justice. She has devoted much of her practice and studies to the impact of race in the therapeutic process and the effects of racial trauma on POC, specifically, African American women, and parenting. Debra has also facilitated numerous workshops such as Racism, Culture, and Dissociation, Being BIPOPC: The Ongoing Challenges of Visibility vs Invisibility, Wounded Parenting: The Intersection of Complex and Racial Trauma in Parents of Color, A Therapist Path to Exploring Implicit Bias and Racial Trauma, Micro-Aggressions In Clinical Practice, Unmasking Race With Interracial Couples, Making the Invisible Visible, Beyond 20/20Vision: Examining Racism Through Trauma Lens. Debra and her colleague are in the process of writing about their non-Eurocentric facilitation of a support Group for Women of Color. She also provides Clinical consultation for BIPOC Clinicians around issues of race and trauma as well as other clinical concerns.

Gliceria Pérez is a bilingual trauma-focused therapist who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. She has over 30 years of experience in social work fields of mental health, trauma, domestic violence, adoption, immigration, and child abuse/neglect. Gliceria has provided case management and therapeutic services to immigrant children, adolescents, and adults in various community settings, in-home, and schools. She is committed to providing high-quality therapeutic services with a social justice perspective. Gliceria maintains a private practice in New Jersey where she works passionately with Black, Indigenous People of Color as well as other individuals/communities who have suffered from mental health issues (depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc.) in addition to racial trauma. Before becoming a therapist, Gliceria was a Director of Residential Services at a domestic violence program where she worked collaboratively to improve the services to include underserved communities. Since 2015, Gliceria has been an Adjunct Faculty at New York University Silver School of Social Work where she teaches Racial and Social Class Microaggressions in Clinical Practice. Gliceria is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and has completed the Certificate Program in Traumatic Stress Studies at JRI (Boston, MA), the Certificate Program at the Multicultural Family Institute Program, and the second level of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Trauma Program at the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute (New York, NY). She’s in the process of completing the third level of Janina Fisher’s Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST) Program. Gliceria has facilitated workshops/presentations which include: “Being BIPOC: The Ongoing Challenges of Visibility and Invisibility,” “A Therapist Path for Exploring Implicit Bias and Racial Trauma,” “Adelantar La Raza/Advance the Race: An Afro-Cuban American Experience,” “Micro-aggressions: Making the Invisible Visible,” and “Wounded Parenting: The Intersections of Complex and Racial Trauma in Parents of Color.” Gliceria is in the process of co-writing a book with Debra Chatman on their non-Eurocentric facilitation of a support group for Women of Color.

Articles & Books Recommended by Debra & Gliceria 

Anderson, C. and Gibson, P. (2016). White rage: the unspoken truth of our racial divide. Bloomsbury  USA.

Degruy, J. (2018). Posttraumatic slave syndrome: America’s legacy of enduring injury and healing.  Joy Degruy Publications Inc.

DiAngelo, R. (2021).  Nice Racism: how progressive white people perpetuate racial harm. Penguin Books.

Fisher, J. (2017). Healing the fragmented selves of trauma survivors: overcoming internal self-alienation. Routledge.

Niemann et al. (2020). Presumed incompetent II: race, class, power and resistance of women in academia.  Utah State University Press

Gutiérrez, N.Y. (2022). The pain we carry: healing from complex PTSD for people of color. New Harbinger Publications.

Hardy, K.V. (2023). Racial Trauma: clinical strategies and techniques for healing invisible wounds.  W.W. Norton & Company.

Hardy, K.V. (2022). The enduring, invisible, and ubiquitous centrality of whiteness implications for clinical practice and beyond.  W.W. Norton & Company.

Heiman, M. (2022). Learning to live in harmony with ourselves A primer for trauma survivors & those who dissociate. Mermaid Publisher.

Menakem, R. (2017). My grandmother’s hands: racialized trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies. Penguin Books.

Saad, L. (2020). Me and my white supremacy: how to recognize your privilege, combat racism and change the world. Quercus. 

Sue et al. (2020). Microaggressions in Everyday Life.  John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Click here to view the Racial Trauma Pt 1 Transcript We support mental health access to those traditionally left out of mainstream healthcare and use a portion of the income we receive from corporate sponsors to do just that!  We can only do that with the help of our Patrons – joining as a TU Neuronerd Podsquad premium subscriber, you support this mission and get a dedicated ad-free feed plus occasional very cool and unique study opportunities, reading groups and unique surprises!  We invite you to join our community. Click here to join! 

We are a Supporter, please be one, too!

Mental Health Liberation is our charity of choice – please consider giving whatever you can to support mental health access for those traditionally left behind and support training for BIPOC therapists

 

Finding and maintaining connection and a sense of security in times of fear and general chaos is THE ultimate challenge.  This is a very special episode - co-hosts Dr. Ann Kelley and Sue Marriott are joined by 24-year-old homesteader Mason Marriott-Voss, to discuss navigating big generational differences and re-building a sense of security in an uncertain world. This is the first of the new series, Secure Relating in an Insecure World. See the resource-filled show notes for today's episode at www.therapistuncensored.com/TU202

In this episode, explore the significance of our dreams and the potential journeys of growth through a Jungian lens.

Join Ann and Sue as they discuss the power of association in dreams for connecting with ourselves and updating our inner working models.