Edge of the Couch

In this special episode, we look back at the history of our podcast, our favourite episodes, and the vulnerable things about doing the podcast. We read some recent DMs from Instagram, a one-star review, and we listen to some voice notes sent in by listeners. We recorded this one late at night (for us at least!) so we get a little loopy at the end saying thank you thank you thank you, but truly, thanks for listening and being a part of our Edge of The Couch community. This marks both our 100th episode as well as the finale of Season 6. If you want more, and can't wait until Season 7, join us on patreon, where we are posting weekly episodes breaking our typical format. Maybe we will see you there!

In this episode, we dive into a common struggle suggested by one of our awesome listeners: the nagging feeling of not "doing enough" in therapy. Join us as we unpack this topic and ask ourselves the question: Do trainings really make you a better therapist? We share our experiences and some controversial opinions. Whether you're a seasoned therapist or just starting out on your journey, this episode is your invitation to explore what's happening behind feeling the need to prove yourself in the therapy room. We do offer ideas about which trainings are worthwhile, and when it's time for you to do some inner work to be a more confident therapist.Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

This is a highly requested topic that comes with so much charge and tenderness. This week, we’re talking about being rejected by a client. We explore the myriad of rejections that can happen in the relationship - both micro and macro moments.We tenderly share what can come up for therapists when a client stops scheduling sessions or tells us they want to stop seeing us. This is an especially vulnerable moment for new therapists and we remember well how crushing it felt in the beginning.Throughout the episode, we discuss the many reasons that clients reject therapists and we dive into the pieces that the therapist has to own and all of the pieces that have nothing to do with the therapist. We strongly believe that moments of rejection can be learning opportunities for therapists but that shame and “I’m a bad therapist” thoughts are rarely helpful.This episode is about recognizing that rejection is a normal part of this work but also honouring how painful it can be. We share what has helped us to build our capacities for rejection and what we have learned from being “dumped” by clients.How are you when a client stops booking sessions? How do you feel if a client tells you they don’t want to keep working together? What have you learned in the process or a client pulling away from the relationship?Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

This week we are taking it back to the basics-- how to open and close sessions! We share our favourite opening questions/remarks, talk about why it can be valuable to avoid “how are you” as the opening question, and what to do when clients look to you, the therapist, to lead.On the flip side, we wrap up the session by talking about the benefits of an intentional closing with clients, why it’s so important to be able to structure sessions, and how to build our interrupting skills.As clinicians, we often want to explore all the deep, big stuff of therapy, which we absolutely love! AND we know it’s valuable to keep our foundational skills well-polished, doing regular check-ins without ourselves and our clients to see if there is anything we need to tweak or adjust.Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

This week, we’re sharing how we respond when clients answer with “I don’t know”s. We talk about why “I don’t know” can feel so discombobulating, how to respond effectively and without panicking, what these responses might mean from clients, and why they can help deepen the therapy work. We explore both when clients who often have robust answers suddenly give us an “I don’t know” and when clients often answer with “I don’t know”s, situations that have to be handled differently.When we were new therapists, “I don’t know” felt scary and unmanageable so we’re hoping this episode helps you feel more confident in knowing what to do next!Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

No-show and cancellation conversations are some of the most charged and controversial among therapists. There are constant debates about whether to charge for cancellations or not, how much notice is reasonable to therapists, and how strict or flexible to be with these policies.This week we deep dive into the huge importance of having clear policies that have been communicated to clients, building flexibility into policy to centre the therapeutic relationship, and why it’s valuable to charge what you are worth, adhere to your policies, and stand firm in your decisions.Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Many clients come to therapy with a history of charged relationship dynamics. Maybe they’ve been people-pleasing, maybe they shut others out, maybe they have difficulty being vulnerable with friends, maybe they crave closeness but don’t know how to get it, maybe they dance between investing too little in relationships to putting everything into them, maybe they never rock the boat for fear of abandonment…the list is endless. How, as therapists, do we help clients to move from one of these dynamics into a different way of showing up?This episode explores how we help clients to take relational risks: deepen relationships, practice vulnerability, say “no”, name their internal experience to someone else, tell us when we’ve done something that they did not like…another long list!These risks can happen in the therapy space when we talk about rupture with clients, do active check-ins about how they feel therapy is going, and prioritize intentional open communication. These risks can also happen outside of therapy. In these moments, we can help clients prepare for tricky conversations, discuss how they might feel following a relational risk, and fortify for any big reactions that could happen.Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

If you’re on any therapy forums, part of a therapist group, or even currently becoming a therapist, you’ve undoubtedly seen people talking about therapists leaving the field. One of the most common questions we get from new therapists is how to know if the field is right for them given how much of a hard time they are having. This week we discuss our theories about why so many new and seasoned therapists alike are leaving the field. We talk about the disillusionment that happens when we transition from student to therapist, how much the field requires of us personally, financially, and emotionally, and the trend of established practices mistreating new therapists to the point of burnout.We also discuss the impact of our current unstable economy, the demands of capitalism, how little some therapists are being paid and what it means to be a therapist trained through an individual lens but realizing how big the systems are that impact our clients.Being a therapist is not easy and we’re not surprised that the systems in place are forcing people to choose professions outside of therapy. But we feel a sense of sadness that so many incredibly gifted clinicians are needing to look elsewhere because of low pay, unrealistic work expectations from employers, and ever-increasing demands on the field as a whole.Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the landscape of therapy. Where before 2020 online therapy was met with a great deal of skepticism and judgment, once in-person sessions were no longer possible, clinicians across the world had to pivot into virtual work. At first, it seemed that the changes may only be temporary (“just until it’s safe to be in-person again”) but here we are almost four years later, and virtual work has become an undeniable part of our field.In this episode, we dive into the pros and cons, and the debates around virtual versus in-person therapy. We talk about what is unique in each—how clients might get distracted, what interruptions look like, the control we have over the therapy space, how comfortable everyone feels, and the nuances of interacting with our clients. Plus, we discuss all the ways the essential parts of therapy remain the same, regardless of the setting.Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Major major MAJOR caveat: what clients bring to sessions is important regardless of the ‘size’ of it. We used the terminology “small things” as it felt that it explained the situation in the most precise way but we know that nothing is ever really “small” when we consider context, our clients’ lives, and the power of little things in our day-to-day existence.With that clarified, this week’s episode is about what comes up for us as therapists when clients explore minor/small/seemingly insignificant (ugh, it’s hard to find the most accurate language to use) stories or challenges. As therapists, we may become frustrated that we aren’t getting to the BIG stuff or we may have a hard time understanding how small things seem to feel really huge for clients.We know that many clients worry that their situations aren’t worthy of therapy - not traumatic enough to meet an invisible threshold. We must know how to talk to clients about the validity of their experiences, that they are all valid for exploration and support. And we need to know how to manage ourselves and the sessions when clients seem to stay in the shallow end of the pool.Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Join us in a candid conversation about policies and power in therapy. We delve into the topic of therapist boundaries, drawing parallels with dynamics with supervisors and bosses. We get real about the challenges of asserting boundaries within complicated power dynamics, whether you're the therapist with your own clients or you're navigating dynamics with your supervisor or boss. We hope you are better able to recognize red flags and take away practical strategies for making the work more sustainable for you long-term. Number 1: Re-assess your policies!Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Let’s imagine that in the course of a session, a client casually mentions something that feels big but the conversation moves beyond it quickly. As the therapist, we may have a sense that we need to go back to that big thing (such as a history of abuse or an upcoming grief anniversary or that they lost their job) but we may not know how or when to do so!Or let’s imagine that a client hasn’t paid for their last four sessions. It’s become such a big anxiety that it feels impossibly hard to mention but there is a sense that it has to be brought up eventually. It feels both scary and critical!This episode is all about how to know when to circle back to the elephant that is now in the room. We share how to talk about both the content-related bombs that have been dropped in sessions and the process-related pieces that are impacting the relationship, such as those outlined above.Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Shame is often talked about in pop psych, but what does it mean? In this episode all about this tender emotion, we describe how the different theoretical frameworks understand how shame operates and how to work with it to move the therapy forward. From childhood trauma and abuse to marginalized identities and privilege, we unpack how shame might show up for people and the various ways we can help clients address it. It's a messy dive into this universal emotion, and we're well aware we've just scratched the surface. Share your thoughts, strategies, and maybe some suggestions for a possible Part 2—we'd love to hear from you!Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

In our therapeutic work, we think of ourselves as ‘fellow travellers’ who journey alongside our clients in the evolving, changing, learning etc. But recently we were asked by a listener, “what does being a fellow traveller actually mean?” We realized then that we’ve never taken the time to dive into what we really mean when we use this metaphor.This episode is all about how we conceptualize the role of therapist, how we use ‘fellow traveller’ as a specific way to describe the relational nature of our work, and what we do to embody this practice with clients.Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramWe have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.

We’re back and excited for Season 6!! We’re opening the season with a juicy question that we get a lot - what are practicum supervisors looking for? We can’t speak for all supervisors but we had a great time recording this episode explaining what we both look for in student applications.Applying to a practicum site or a new therapist job is a pretty vulnerable process. Students are often anxious and desperate to find a site and there is a lot riding on whether they secure a practicum or not! In this episode, we share the concrete specifics of what we look for in practicum students.We discuss how to strengthen your application, how to feel confident even if you don’t have a ton of experience, and how to highlight your specific strengths in a way that makes it clear why you’d be a good fit for the practice/supervisor.This was a listener-requested topic which happens to be our favourite type of episode to record. If you have an episode idea in mind, be sure to let us know!Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramWe have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.

From celebrating clients' milestones and triumphs to helping them navigate the darkest seasons of life, in our final episode of Season 5, we'll share what makes being a therapist especially meaningful. We also discuss what happens when clients have news and we have very different feelings about it than our clients. If you have enjoyed listening along this season, please give us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Stay tuned for Season 6 coming in the Fall!For bonus episodes, you can join us on patreon at patreon.com/edgeofthecouchAlison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramWe have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.

Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramWe have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.

We’ve often joked that if we were to start a counselling school, the basic skills training would look very different than the program we completed together. In this episode, we share with you the foundational therapy skills that guide our practice and that we think therapy school should focus on instead-- empathy, presence, comfort, attunement, and accuracy.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramWe have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.

We met on zoom with listeners for a LIVE Q&A episode where members of our community asked questions in real time. We discuss how to help clients sit with their difficult feelings, how to manage the moments when a client is seeking answers but doesn’t seem satisfied with the tools you’re offering, how to be thoughtful about maintaining privacy during virtual sessions when the client is unbothered by being in public, what self-esteem building therapy looks like, and more!Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who joined us and everyone who sent us questions!Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramWe have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.

Grief and loss are inevitable parts of therapeutic work. Clients' pain (or anger or confusion) is sometimes so big and it can feel delicate for new therapists to know how to hold all of the bigness. Many programs don’t prepare new therapists for how to support clients who have experienced a significant loss. We know that new and seasoned therapists alike have moments of "What do I do here??". We discuss the myth of stages of grief, the importance of psychoeducation, how clients can feel devastated by the loss of someone with whom they have a parasocial relationship, and how there are no right or wrong ways to grieve.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramWe have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.