Therapy Chat

This week, continuing our discussion of psychedelics and therapy, I’m honored to be joined by three amazing guests who are leaders in the IFS and psychedelics worlds. So HOW does a therapist “do” psychedelic assisted psychotherapy? A number of therapists are already using IFS or IFS informed parts work in their practices. Now, we are fortunate to have a clinical manual co-authored by today’s guests, Sunny Strasburg, LMFT; Martha Sweezy, PhD; and David Lovas, MD, together with the founder of IFS, Dick Schwartz, PhD. In our conversation, you’ll hear our guests share their perspectives on the neuroscience involved; how Protector parts can arise in these experiences; ethics and consent in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy; some descriptions of various psychedelic medicines; and the need for additional research in this field. About this week’s guests:Sunny Strasburg, LMFT, a licensed psychotherapist, educator, speaker, and pioneering author, specializes in training clinicians and designing impactful experiences that inspire both creativity and compassion. She is the founder of The Theradelic Approach, equipping clinicians with trauma-informed psychedelic-assisted therapy methods. This unique model blends Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, archetypal psychology, trauma-informed care, and Strasburg's extensive clinical experience. Her debut book, The Theradelic Approach, elevates therapeutic best practices. Sunny also co-authored the official clinical manual for IFS and Psychedelic Therapy, Psychedelic Medicine & Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy: A Clinical Skills Manual, with Dave Lovas, Martha Sweezy, and Richard Schwartz. Martha Sweezy, PhD, is an Assistant Professor part-time in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a research and training consultant at the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion at the Cambridge Health Alliance, and a psychotherapist in private practice. Martha has a blog on IFS in Psychology Today, and co-hosts a podcast called System Updates: IFS Chitchat. She has authored, co-authored, and co-edited eleven published books on various applications of Internal Family Systems (IFS), including Internal Family Systems Therapy for Shame and Guilt. She teaches IFS therapy nationally and internationally. David Lovas, MD is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist and writer. He recently co-wrote "Psychedelic Medicine and Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy: A Clinical Skills Manual" (2026), with colleagues Martha Sweezy, Richard Schwartz and Sunny Strasburg. They have also taught workshops and co-lead retreats together. Formerly working in academia, Dr Lovas has received awards for his teaching and research at Harvard Medical School and Dalhousie University. Now, along with his private practice, he is focused on translating science, IFS, and depth psychology for a broader audience. Dr Lovas continues to consult and collaborate on IFS and psychedelic research. He speaks and coaches internationally.Find Our Guests online:Sunny Strasburg’s website: http://www.sunnystrasburg.com/Martha Sweezy’s website: https://marthasweezy.comDavid Lovas’s website: https://www.drdavidlovas.comFind Psychedelic Medicine + IFS: A Clinical Skills Manual online here: https://www.amazon.com/Psychedelic-Medicine-Internal-Systems-Therapy/dp/1683739213 Find Laura Onlinehttps://therapychatpodcast.comhttps://traumatherapistnetwork.comSign up to receive the Therapy Chat + TTN Newsletterhttps://go.traumatherapistnetwork.com/updatesSocialshttps://www.youtube.com/c/TherapyChatPodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/therapychatpodhttps://www.instagram.com/therapychatpodTherapy Wisdom Video CourseMy course on therapy skills for work with survivors of sexual violence is available on The Academy of Therapy Wisdom site. Watch a free video and access the course https://therapywisdom.com/what-to-do-when-a-client-discloses-sexual-trauma2026-2027 Retreat Interest FormWe’re planning retreats in 2026 and 2027. Let me know which ones you are interested in - some of the locations we’ll visit include: Spain, North Carolina, Mexico, Portugal, Greece, France and more. Details are being added to the TTN website and sent out via e-mail as they’re finalized.https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVOcuSAc9ehVzdcNXPydpjjciVjCfzoE2jRrVyGcOeZGhZEA/viewformCheck Out These Offers from Our Episode Sponsors:Save $250 on Your First Year of Paubox when you use code HEALING at: paubox.com (link to) https://get.paubox.com/private-practice/therapy-chat Get 2 Free Months of TherapyNotes using code CHAT at https://therapynotes.com Save 15% Off An Annual Plan with Heard at joinheard.com/therapychat (link to this : https://affiliate.joinheard.com/laura Podcast Produced by Vaudeo Productionshttps://vaudeoproductions.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Psychedelics are a hot topic lately. People are seeking healing experiences, with or without the participation of their therapists. Some are finding their journeys to be transformational but struggle to integrate what occurred when they return to their ordinary lives. Others need help integrating traumatic material that arose. Yet many therapists, especially those who are more seasoned in the field, are unaware or suspicious about these medicines.This week’s guest, Erin Atkinson, LCSW-C, is the founder of Prism Wellness, a holistic, somatic, and psychedelic therapy practice with a team of therapists providing this specialized work across multiple states. In addition to her clinical training in this work, Erin weaves somatic trauma therapy with earth-based wisdom and plant medicine traditions. She is an animist minister, rooted in Celtic and European traditions and her own ancestral practice.In our conversation, you’ll hear Erin and I discuss aspects of our own processes of connecting with our European ancestors; how psychedelic work can help us connect with nature and the collective; and the importance of integration, often a missing piece of the healing process in psychedelic work. Erin Atkinson, LCSW-C is licensed in Maryland, Colorado, Texas, and Hawaii, a board-approved clinical supervisor, and a psychedelic-assisted therapist. Alongside her clinical work, Erin mentors, supervises, and trains therapists who want to bring spirituality, earth wisdom, and a liberation focus into their practice. If you’re curious about what psychedelic integration is, and what it can be, you’ll want to listen to this episode!Find Erin Atkinson online:Erin Atkinson’s website for therapy, consultation and training: https://www.prism-wellness.com/for-therapists Instagram: instagram.com/prismwellness.love Find Laura Onlinehttps://therapychatpodcast.comhttps://traumatherapistnetwork.comSign up to receive the Therapy Chat + TTN Newsletterhttps://go.traumatherapistnetwork.com/updatesSocialshttps://www.youtube.com/c/TherapyChatPodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/therapychatpodhttps://www.instagram.com/therapychatpodTherapy Wisdom Video CourseMy course on therapy skills for work with survivors of sexual violence is available on The Academy of Therapy Wisdom site. Watch a free video and access the course https://therapywisdom.com/what-to-do-when-a-client-discloses-sexual-trauma2026-2027 Retreat Interest FormWe’re planning retreats in 2026 and 2027. Let me know which ones you are interested in - some of the locations we’ll visit include: Spain, North Carolina, Mexico, Portugal, Greece, France and more. Details are being added to the TTN website and sent out via e-mail as they’re finalized.https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVOcuSAc9ehVzdcNXPydpjjciVjCfzoE2jRrVyGcOeZGhZEA/viewformCheck Out These Offers from Our Episode Sponsors:Save $250 on Your First Year of Paubox when you use code HEALING at: paubox.com (link to) https://get.paubox.com/private-practice/therapy-chat Get 2 Free Months of TherapyNotes using code CHAT at https://therapynotes.com Save 15% Off An Annual Plan with Heard at joinheard.com/therapychat (link to this : https://affiliate.joinheard.com/laura Podcast Produced by Vaudeo Productionshttps://vaudeoproductions.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Our rapidly changing world is leaving parents needing guidance more than ever. The threats seem to be from everywhere - at school, in the neighborhood, on the internet… How can we help our children become strong and resilient adults who will have the wisdom to lead our world forward? Parents are worried about protecting their daughters from violence and ensuring they grow up feeling confident and empowered. They’re wondering how their sons will be impacted by the loudest voices on the internet teaching them what masculinity should look like through the perspective of “the Manosphere.” And what about porn? I talk to so many parents who are trying to figure out how to keep their kids from being exposed to porn and being utterly confused about what to do next, when they inevitably stumble upon it.In this conversation with parenting expert Dr. Shefali, author of the bestselling book, “The Conscious Parent,” we talk about all of this and much more. Dr. Shefali’s two newest books, Raising Conscious Daughters and Raising Conscious Sons, help parents guide their children’s emotional and physical development toward maturation into well-adjusted adults. Dr. Shefali is a Columbia University-trained psychologist who founded the Conscious Parenting movement. For decades, she’s been guiding families to move beyond patterns of control and fear toward presence and authenticity. Find Dr. Shefali online:Raising Conscious Daughters + Raising Conscious Sons are Found Here. https://www.drshefali.com/raisingconscious-daughters-sons/  Dr. Shefali’s websitehttps://www.drshefali.com/ Find Laura Onlinehttps://therapychatpodcast.comhttps://traumatherapistnetwork.comSign up to receive the Therapy Chat + TTN Newsletterhttps://go.traumatherapistnetwork.com/updatesSocialshttps://www.youtube.com/c/TherapyChatPodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/therapychatpodhttps://www.instagram.com/therapychatpodTherapy Wisdom Video CourseMy course on therapy skills for work with survivors of sexual violence is available on The Academy of Therapy Wisdom site. Watch a free video and access the course https://therapywisdom.com/what-to-do-when-a-client-discloses-sexual-trauma2026-2027 Retreat Interest FormWe’re planning retreats in 2026 and 2027. Let me know which ones you are interested in - some of the locations we’ll visit include: Spain, North Carolina, Mexico, Portugal, Greece, France and more. Details are being added to the TTN website and sent out via e-mail as they’re finalized.https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVOcuSAc9ehVzdcNXPydpjjciVjCfzoE2jRrVyGcOeZGhZEA/viewformCheck Out These Offers from Our Episode Sponsors:Save $250 on Your First Year of Paubox when you use code HEALING at: paubox.comGet 2 Free Months of TherapyNotes using code CHAT at https://therapynotes.com Save 15% Off An Annual Plan with Heard at joinheard.com/therapychatPodcast Produced by Vaudeo Productionshttps://vaudeoproductions.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

If you’re someone who has struggled with self abandonment, you may wonder why you find yourself beating yourself up or feeling like an imposter in your life at times. I often say, “imposter syndrome” is a cute description for a deeply painful feeling. This week’s guest, Alexandra Stevens, explores how our own experiences, and those of our ancestors, factor into our shame today. She shares how we can rebuild trust - beginning with trusting ourselves - and stop abandoning ourselves after trauma.Alexandra Stevens is a UKCP-accredited Gestalt psychotherapist, EMDR therapist, writer, and podcast host based in Lisbon, Portugal. She specialises in attachment trauma, CPTSD, anxiety, self-worth, and the ways early relational experiences continue to shape our adult lives.Alexandra integrates EMDR, Gestalt Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and somatic approaches to help clients move beyond insight into lasting transformation. Alexandra is currently writing a book, You Don't Have To Abandon Yourself To Belong, exploring the ways we disconnect from ourselves in order to maintain attachment, safety, and belonging. Alongside her clinical work, she hosts a podcast featuring conversations with leading therapists, authors, and researchers exploring trauma, authenticity, healing, and human connection called You Don’t Have to Abandon Yourself to Belong.Find Alexandra Stevens online:Alexandra’s website: http://www.alexandrastevenstherapy.com You Don’t Have to Abandon Yourself to Belong Podcast on YouTube https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJVFrcqh04gA Find Laura Onlinehttps://therapychatpodcast.comhttps://traumatherapistnetwork.comJoin Laura’s Mailing Listhttps://go.traumatherapistnetwork.com/updatesSocialshttps://www.youtube.com/c/TherapyChatPodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/therapychatpodhttps://www.instagram.com/therapychatpodhttps://www.tiktok.com/@therapychatpodTherapy Wisdom Video CourseMy course on therapy skills for work with survivors of sexual violence is available on The Academy of Therapy Wisdom site. Watch a free video and access the course https://therapywisdom.com/what-to-do-when-a-client-discloses-sexual-trauma2026-2027 Retreat Interest FormWe’re planning retreats in 2026 and 2027. Let me know which ones you are interested in - some of the locations we’ll visit include: Spain, North Carolina, Mexico, Portugal, Greece, France and more. Details are being added to the TTN website and sent out via e-mail as they’re finalized.https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVOcuSAc9ehVzdcNXPydpjjciVjCfzoE2jRrVyGcOeZGhZEA/viewformThank you to our sponsor, TherapyNotes!TherapyNotes® is the highest-rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health professionals. Sign up for your free trial by going to https://TherapyNotes.com, clicking "Start my free trial", and accessing your first two months free with the promo code CHAT. See why TherapyNotes is the most trusted EHR for behavioural health professionals today.Podcast Produced by Vaudeo Productionshttps://vaudeoproductions.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Continuing with our series on the power of Brainspotting, this week's episode features two more fabulous Brainspotting leaders, Kristy Sneddon, LCSW and Colleen Klym, LMFT, MT-BC. It's hard to explain the alchemy of this episode, but something creative was birthed. In fact, I found myself spontaneously writing Haikus after our conversation, and I do not consider myself a poet at all. Poems continued pouring forth over the weeks after our interview and still are. Interestingly, Kristy describes a similar experience in her own creative awakening in this interview. This conversation winds through the power of Brainspotting to expand creative expression; the benefits of creativity for our wellbeing as humans; how therapists can use Brainspotting (and creativity) to clear limbic countertransference; and so much more. Colleen sings a ditty she wrote, and Kristy shares a poem of her own. May you find creative inspiration through listening to our conversation about creativity - not only at an intellectual level, but experientially, as a felt sense. Kristy Snedden, LCSW is a trauma therapist, poet, artist, and musician. She specializes in working with creativity and trauma and integrates Brainspotting, Expressive Arts, and other brain-body approaches to bring forth deep healing. Her poetry and art use imagery and metaphor to combine the strange and the surrealistic with everyday sights and experiences. Kristy's poetry is widely published nationally and internationally and among other honors has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and for Best of the Net. Colleen Klym is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Board Certified Music Therapist, Brainspotting Consultant and lead training assistant for Brainspotting Phase 1 trainings for Music Therapists. She runs specialty workshops and consultation groups for clinicians interested in learning how to weave expressive arts and Brainspotting and/or using a combination of expressive arts and Brainspotting to clear and process limbic countertransference, develop clinical insight and become aware of and challenge clinical edges. Learn more about Kristy Sneddon via the Bone to Brain website here.Learn more about Colleen Klym via her website here.More Resources:My course on therapy skills for work with survivors of sexual violence is available on The Academy of Therapy Wisdom site. Watch a free video and access the course. Find the video and access the course here!We are all carrying a lot, whether we are helping professionals or not. Retreats have been hugely beneficial for me, and I am now offering them - for therapists and non-therapists - in several beautiful international and US-based locations. We're currently updating the TTN website to list retreats in 2026 and 2027 in Spain, North Carolina, Mexico, Portugal, Greece, France and more. In the meantime, let me know if you are interested in learning more about what's coming up using this Google Form. Follow Therapy Chat on Instagram, Facebook and e-mail to be in the know!Therapy Chat's 11th birthday and Trauma Therapist Network's 5th birthday are this August! Watch for special offers throughout the month of August! Sign up for my e-mail list to ensure you don't miss a thing!Watch Therapy Chat episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TherapyChatPodcastTherapists, visit the new For Therapists page on the Trauma Therapist Network website for discounts on CE trainings, savings on Synthesis Institute's Psychedelic Facilitation training, discounts on SSP training, other recommended resources and more. Find a trauma therapist near you via findtraumatherapy.com! We believe that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available at Trauma Therapist Network. TherapyNotes® is the highest-rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health professionals. Its all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice, from connecting with clients via secure messages, to scheduling, to notes, to billing, and more; you can trust TherapyNotes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service. It's beyond easy to get help over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives. The best time to give TherapyNotes a try is now! Sign up for your free trial by going to TherapyNotes.com, clicking "Start my free trial", and accessing your first two months free with the promo code CHAT. See why TherapyNotes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today.Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes.Podcast Produced by Vaudeo Productions: https://vaudeoproductions.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands