Couch to Couch

In this episode we speak with Autumn Stepanyants where we discuss Play Therapy, Parent Blame, and Shame. Join us for this exciting episode as we dive into counselling children, as well as the use of play therapy and modeling. We also discuss the effects of parent blame and how common it really is, as well as the shame that comes with it. Enjoy Theme Song Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In Today’s episode we speak with Craig, one of the hosts of The Acid Horizon Podcast, about James Hillman’s psychoanalysis. We discussed the influences Carl Jung had on Hillman’s approach as well as the difference between how both practitioners view psychoanalysis. We also discuss how Deleuze and Guattari compare with Hillman’s thought on the unconscious and creativity. Finally, We discuss Hillman’s approach to Active Imagination as it is used in therapy with an example from one of my own dreams. Enjoy Theme Song Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

On this week’s episode of Couch to Couch, we speak with Brandi Riddoch about the complex world of therapy with respect to stepfamilies. We talk about how stepfamily therapy continues to be an under-researched area in counselling, despite making up close to 50% of family dynamics in North America. We also discuss the complexities facing mothers, fathers, and their partners in a stepfamily dynamic and how it comes up in therapy. Enjoy Theme Song Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In this week’s episode I had the great pleasure of speaking with Nicole MacRae a therapist from Oak and Cedar Counselling. We discussed post-partum depression/anxiety, as well as helping new parents navigate the complex world of parenting. We also spent some time discussing the always important topic of therapeutic fit and the importance of the therapeutic relationship in counseling. Enjoy Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In today’s episode I speak with Nick Rew, a counselor from Queensland, Australia. During the episode we have a deep discussion about trauma, substance use and change. We also discuss what goes on in the therapeutic space as well as how fatherhood has effected my therapeutic approach. Enjoy Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In today’s episode, I interviewed Angela Cowling who is a Registered Psychotherapist. Throughout the episode we discussed her work with individuals dealing with chronic illness, anxiety, and grief. We discussed some of the issues facing individuals with chronic illness such as grief, sadness, and anxiety. We also discussed grief and anxiety more broadly as something everyone faces from time to time as part of the human condition. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In this week's episode, we speak with Dr. Maria Nichterlein, the co-author of "Deleuze and Psychology". We discuss how Gregory Bateson, Foucault, and of course Deleuze and Guattari influenced her work as a Counselling Psychologist. Throughout the episode we talk about the importance of the therapeutic relationship, as well as the respect a therapist needs to have for the client’s entire world (ecology). We wax poetic about the importance of affirming life and the therapist's role as companion, not authority. Finally, we discuss therapy as a political endeavor and how our capitalistic structure does not teach us how to understand ourselves. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In today's episode, we speak with Michelle Sparling-Bodechon, an RPQ who is a clinical intern at KSRC, about her therapeutic influences, her niche, and how she treats things like anxiety. We discuss how the various influences she has such as Freud (Psychoanalysis), Fritz Pearls (Gestalt Therapy), and Carl Rogers (Person Centered Therapy) have helped her understand the therapeutic space. We also spend some time talking about the type of clients she treats, namely First Responders, as well as individuals and couples. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In today’s episode I spoke with Sydney Maharaj-Nicholson, an RPQ from Kemptville, Ontario. We discussed how social justice informs her practice and guides the way she works with blended families. We also discussed the effects of trauma and early childhood experiences, and the ways in which we build adaptation skills and coping mechanisms based on the environment we find ourselves in. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In this week's episode, I had the great fortune to speak with Sherry Law, a therapist and technological innovator from Fredericton, New Brunswick. We discussed Virtual Reality (VR) and its use in the therapeutic space. We discussed topics including her research on the use of VR for boosting the mood of elderly residents of long term care facilities. We also discussed how the use of new experiences found in VR may assist within the therapeutic space. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

Today we have an exciting episode with Adam Gelinas. where we dive into sex and porn addiction in men. Specifically, we discuss and in some ways define intimacy and attachment styles. We also spend a considerable amount of time talking about the relationship dynamics at play for men dealing with sex and porn addictions as well as some possible reason for the addiction's development. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In today's episode I am joined by Robert Fabes, an existential therapist in the process of completing his doctorate. During our conversation we discuss a few elements of existential therapy, including meaning exploration as well as topics such as freedom and choice. We go on to discuss Viktor Frankl and logotherapy as well as Irvin Yalom and his approach to being a therapist. Finally, we discuss at length the role of the therapist as someone that walks with the client through their therapeutic journey. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In today's episode we discuss how important it is to recognize that therapy is, in its own way, a kind of political event. At the same time, we discuss how eating disorders can arise from coping with the pressures from the external world. Throughout our conversation we move back and forth through the conversation of identity and the many factors that come into play with regards to how it is developed. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In today's episode we speak with James Raynard about Positive Psychology. Throughout the episode we discussed what positive psychology looks like in therapy, its importance in the psychological landscape and concrete tips on how to use it. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In today's episode, I explore my own thoughts on anxiety and stress, and how they affect the nervous system and the body as a whole. This episode will also help the listener tune in to how their bodies gear up to protect them in events that feel threatening. This is the first episode of a sister podcast which will take place once a month alongside Couch to Couch: Making Therapy Make Sense. This sister podcast is called "Huh? That's Interesting!" The purpose of the series is to give listeners a closer look at how I approach therapy, what current research I am exploring, and to give a clearer understanding of what interesting things inform my counselling practice. This series will explore areas such as Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, and anything else I may find interesting along the way. Enjoy. Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK

In the first episode of Season 2, we talk with Christina Hymers about Attachment, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Trauma, and Collective Grief. We dive deep into the topic of trauma and walk our way through several forms of therapy used to treat it. These forms of therapy include Attachment-Based, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, and Somatic Therapy. We also discuss the relational aspect to trauma and the importance of building a safe environment for our clients. Finally, we move our way through a discussion of collective grief. As part of this discussion, we talk about how the past few years have thrown a lot of shocking events our way: including a global pandemic which has given rise to trauma, isolation, and grief. To cap off the discussion, we bring in some tools that may help to relieve the pressure of the effects of the past few years such as the use of gratitude exercises. Enjoy. Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

Welcome to the Season One finale of Couch to Couch. In this special episode, I invited three guests from our top previous episodes to discuss a common theme that had been running throughout Season One: trauma. The guests are Meagan Cumming RP, Jennifer Jurkofsky RP, and Ashley Ho RP(Qualifying). In today’s episode we covered everything from what trauma is, how it affects the body, and how it shows up in a person’s life, to how it's treated in therapy from three different perspectives. These perspectives included somatic experiencing, holistic, person-centered, and cognitive processing therapy. Finally, we discussed the second most common theme that ran across Season One, which was the therapeutic relationship and how it is used to help our clients when working with trauma. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK, Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In today’s episode I had the great fortune to speak with Brandi Riddoch, a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) from New Brunswick. In this episode we dove deep to discuss substance use, addictions, and the stigma facing those affected. Specifically, we spent time discussing the therapeutic relationship with respect to substance use clients; how the stigma can sometimes enter into therapy through the therapist themselves and the harmful effects that can have. Afterwards, we discussed the importance of the therapist to maintain what Carl Rogers would describe as an empathetic, congruent, and nonjudgmental safe space for clients that holds a deep respect for their personal autonomy and agency. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK, Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

In today’s episode I spoke with Josée Sovinsky from Blossom Counselling Center in Ottawa, Ontario. We discussed eating disorders, ADHD, and the therapeutic relationship. While discussing eating disorders we explored the different ways they can show up in therapy, what the client's concerns are, and how important it is to respect why this might be happening for the client. Secondly, we discussed ADHD, its symptoms, and how it can affect, cause, or lead to eating disorders. Finally, we dive deep into the therapeutic relationship, our respective backgrounds with person-centered therapy, and the fundamental respect we both have for the client journey. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK, Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f

On this week's episode, I had the chance to speak with Randy Kosloski about men’s mental health, spirituality, and couples counselling. We dove deep into what brings men into counselling and discussed the effects adverse childhood experiences can have on their relationships and parenting styles. We also discussed the relationship between spirituality and counselling. Finally, we spent some time discussing couples counselling. We specifically discussed how a relationship between a couple looks a lot like a dance: how each couple has their own rhythm, what can happen when they become out of step with each other, and what happens in couples counselling to bring the couples back in step with their rhythm. Enjoy Theme Music By Kamil Niedopytalski. Artist can be found at Instagram: LargestK, Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXRVjS8f