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Produced by Psychotherapy.net, 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.
27 Episodes
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In this episode of Therapist Confidential, Travis speaks with Dr. Marlene Williams of Texas Woman’s University about intergenerational trauma, ancestral wisdom, and what it really means to “break the cycle.” Together they explore how trauma is transmitted through families and culture—psychologically, relationally, and even genetically—and how healing can begin by reclaiming personal and collective stories. Dr. Williams also shares insights from her work with Black women and mothers, offering a deeply human look at resilience, identity, and liberation through therapy.
In this special Therapist Confidential Takeover, the tables turn. Guest host Lisa Forbes interviews Travis Heath about his evolving relationship with AI in therapy, why he believes contradiction is essential to being human, and how therapists can subvert psychology’s dominant logics. From graffiti as therapy to hip-hop and basketball as guiding philosophies, this conversation explores what happens when curiosity replaces certainty. A candid and thought-provoking episode about creativity, ethics, and what it really means to ask good questions.
In Part 2 of his conversation with therapist and educator Liliana Baylon, Travis Heath goes deeper into what cultural humility looks like in real clinical moments. They talk about unlearning as a playful, accountability-driven practice; how and when self-disclosure can support client safety; and why not getting ahead of the client matters when facilitating acculturation groups with youth. Liliana shares how she works across English, Spanish, and Spanglish, why language justice is central to healing, and how she navigates religious intersections without centering her own agenda. They also explore adapting therapy models to fit clients and contexts, supporting supervisees to find their own voice, attending to countertransference when identities are shared, and the everyday faces of activism in clinical work. They close with what’s giving them hope right now. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
Host Travis Heath sits down with therapist, mediator, and “cultural broker” Liliana Baylon for a candid conversation about migration, trauma, and care. Liliana shares her story of coming to the U.S. at 16, “pushing through” grief and survival, and becoming the advocate her family needed. She names what migrants are carrying now — “ongoing anxiety that is coming now to panic attacks” — and why “you are loyal to the client, not to the model.” Part one also explores layered trauma (pre-migration, migration, post-migration), cultural rituals in therapy, and “learning to rest.” Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
Thomas Doherty, who has been at the forefront of climate psychology, joins Travis Heath to trace an unconventional path—from wilderness therapy and Greenpeace to the APA’s first Climate Change Task Force—and to map today’s “climate elephant.” They explore eco-anxiety as feeling, diagnosis, and social phenomenon; taking news breaks; the “upside down pyramid” of stress; a shifting “horizon of hope”; and action identities (Climate Detective, Champion, Survivor). Doherty shares practical steps from identity work, and adapting existing skills, to implementing with congruence. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
Host Travis Heath goes solo to unpack the realities of private practice—what it takes to start, sustain, and stay grounded while doing it. He shares his own story of building a practice without a website or marketing budget, explores myths about “readiness,” talks money and ethics, and wrestles with the tension between authenticity and visibility. Whether you’re just beginning or re-evaluating your path, this candid conversation offers a grounded look at what private practice really means today. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
What does it mean to center neurodivergence as identity, not pathology? In this episode, Robert Jason Grant—founder of AutPlay Therapy—shares how therapists can use neurodiversity-affirming practices to make therapy a space of inclusion and acceptance. From “all-the-time goals” like self-worth, identity awareness, autonomy, and advocacy, to building better mental health outcomes for neurodivergent kids, this conversation is a call for therapists to lead the way in creating inclusive, identity-affirming practices. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
What happens when therapy feels like it’s going nowhere? In this solo episode, Travis Heath reflects on moments of stuckness in therapy — the vulnerability of not knowing, the solidarity that comes when we name it, and why sometimes feeling lost means the real work is just beginning. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
1“Humans need humans. We need relationships in order for us to survive in this world.” In this episode, play therapist Clair Mellenthin shares her attachment-centered approach to play therapy that fosters child-led, systemic healing. From maximizing safety and security to reframing play as an attachment need, Mellenthin shows how change happens when parents are invited into the playroom — becoming resources, partners, and safe bases for their children. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
“When you express yourself non-verbally, it’s really different from when you try to put something into words. And so you discover things that you couldn’t have discovered any other way.” – Judy Rubin Judy Rubin didn’t just practice art therapy — she helped shape the field. In this intimate conversation, The Art Lady reflects on her naïve beginnings as a school teacher, her transformative work with children in psychiatric care, and the discovery of rich emotional experiences that could only be shared outside the limitations of language. As a pioneer at the intersection of mental health and the arts, Rubin reminds us why art touches places words cannot reach. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
In this second half of an expansive conversation, Sanni Paljakka and Tom Stone Carlson return to join Travis Heath for a deeper dive into narrative therapy's evolving landscape. Together, they confront the implications of labels, the erosion of lived experience, and the role of neoliberalism in shaping modern therapy. With equal parts compassion and provocation, the trio explores what it means to honor the human story behind the diagnosis. From poetic interludes to powerful case illustrations, this episode brings narrative therapy back to its radical, relational roots. A Psychotherapy.net original.
In this bonus episode of Therapist Confidential, host Travis Heath is joined by Sanni Paljakka and Tom Stone Carlson for a spirited conversation on the evolving language of narrative therapy. They challenge the rise of diagnostic labels, explore the concept of "unstories," and reflect on how language both shapes and limits our understanding of human suffering. A timely dialogue, brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, for therapists seeking to reclaim imagination and complexity in the therapy room.
Guests: Sanni Paljakka & Tom Stone Carlson
Topics: Narrative therapy, diagnostic labels, unstory vs. problem story, redefining client struggles
Highlights:
New terms introduced in contemporary narrative therapy
How diagnosis can obscure lived experience
“Unstories” as a response to label-driven therapy
The cultural dangers of “cutified” therapy
“Guys think that this ends up being an identity or sexuality conversation, when it is actually an emotional competence conversation.” – Dr. Maliek Blade In this episode, therapist and founder of the Whole Brother Mission, Maliek Blade, talks about redefining masculinity, fatherhood, and success for Black men. From emotional competency to cultural relevancy, Maliek Blade shares how his work creates a space that helps Black men thrive. This conversation is essential for anyone interested in reimagining what healthy masculinity looks like across families and communities. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
“There’s moments where I feel like I’m being ineffective… and then a client might return and say, ‘That thing from last session really stuck with me.’” In this special “Ask a Therapist Anything” episode of Therapist Confidential, host Travis Heath is joined by Lisa Forbes and Clayton Norman to answer listener questions about therapy, healing, and what it’s like on both sides of the therapy room. From self-doubt to growth, painful experiences to the limits of healing, this candid conversation invites curiosity about the work we do and the humans we are while doing it. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
“I'm always telling stories. and that allows me to be curious about you and create space so that you can be curious about me.” In this episode, Liliana Baylon, whose practice and trainings focus on therapy in immigrant communities. She invites us to consider the cultural complexity of immigrant clients and the stressors they face. Liliana speaks candidly about stereotypes, survival, and systems—and what it really takes to bridge traditional treatment models with ethical care for immigrant communities. This conversation is a must-listen for any clinician, educator, or student learning to navigate complexity with integrity. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
“We're gonna have a conversation about the thing, or we can do the thing, and then I can see it in real time.” In this episode, Travis Heath sits down with Digital Play Therapy Expert Jessica Stone to explore how screen-based environments—often viewed with skepticism—can become rich spaces for therapeutic connection. From Virtual Sandtrays to video games, Stone makes the case that what matters most isn’t the medium—it’s the meaning. Together, they unpack the ethical considerations, generational divides, and powerful moments that emerge when therapists are willing to get curious, step into the unknown, and explore digital spaces with their clients. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
“I’m not here to fix bodies or food behaviors—I’m here to hold space for what those things are holding.” In this episode, Kim Fry challenges traditional models for treating eating disorders and invites us into a more relational approach. From deconstructing societal aesthetics to unlearning what you know about “healthy” behavior, Kim helps us rethink what healing looks like in a system that so often fails the people it claims to serve. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
How do you offer meaningful, person-centered care inside a system built on confinement and control? In this episode, Travis Heath speaks with Brooke Sheehan, a social worker and the Regional Director of a mental healthcare program operating inside correctional institutions. They unpack the myths of working in prisons, the power of radical acceptance, the flexibility required to meet varied mental health needs, and what it means to humanize care in a dehumanizing environment.Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
Jason Buckles is not the DSM expert you’re looking for. Or is he? In this episode, Dr. Jason Buckles joins Travis Heath to discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of the DSM—from the benefits of providing a common language to the realities of dehumanizing clients when that language is applied. Together, they explore the power and perils of using diagnoses to define the human condition. A layered, provocative episode for anyone who’s ever wrestled with the complexities of diagnosis.
Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
"If it’s your idea, you’re going to like it better.”
You know how to support clients’ mental health but what happens when clients bring up physical health goals? In this episode, health coach Shana Walsh shares how she fosters healthy change that comes from within. From helping clients set process goals to navigating motivation and reframing setbacks, this conversation will give you some fresh ideas for nurturing change that sticks—especially when physical wellness enters the room. Brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, the home of timeless and timely conversations in mental health.
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