Latest Episode:
Episode 140 - VBT Study Hall: What Does “Trauma-Informed” Mean?
Trauma-informed therapy is…what, exactly? And is trauma actually stored in the body, or is that just a clever narrative that a few enterprising gurus have used to sell books and trainings? We dig deep into the research on trauma to answer these questions and more, and Carrie introduces her breakthrough trauma-focused treatment: dog therapy.
Episode 95 - Post-Traumatic Stress Demonology
The cause of psychological distress is often complex and unknowable. There are many helpful theories to explain depression, anxiety, and trauma, but in this episode, Maria shares her bewildering experience with a therapist who had some less conventional ideas. This story features many different examples of bad therapy with a freaking exorcism included as an iatrogenic exclamation point.
Episode 94 - Trauma-Uninformed Therapy (with Dr. Chelsea Kilimnik)
Lots of therapists describe themselves as “trauma-informed.” Very few fail to live up to that title as inexplicably as what we hear in this episode, as Sarah shares her unfortunate therapy experience following a sexual assault. We also talk with Dr. Chelsea Kilimnik to learn more about how therapists can actually be trauma-informed when supporting survivors of sexual trauma.
Episode 61 - What Heals Trauma? (with Chrissy Gillmore, MCoun)
An interview with Chrissy Gillmore about the primacy of client strengths, resilience, and culture in healing trauma, and how a pathology-focused approach can result in bad therapy. Plus, Carrie and Ben explore the controversy behind the APA Clinical Practice Guidelines for PTSD and discuss whether being trauma-informed is an ethical requirement, clever marketing, or both.
Episode 59 - Don't Be Weird (with Bronwen Clark)
Bronwen Clark is the author of Don’t Be Weird: A Memoir of Food and Feelings. She joins us to share experiences of bad therapy from her healing journey that include being kicked out of eating disorder treatment for being too depressed – only to almost be kicked out of mood disorder treatment for being too eating disordered. This is a compelling story of trauma and resilience.
Episode 58 - VBT in Focus: Paul Gilmartin on Mental Health and Therapy
Paul Gilmartin is a former stand-up comedian and host of the widely popular Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast. We speak with him about his journey with clinical depression, insights on mental health and psychotherapy from ten years of hearing others’ personal stories, and his own experiences of very bad therapy. Plus, Paul shares his thoughts on self-obsession and the quest for fame.
Episode 57 - Addressing Cultural Complexities (with Dr. Pamela Hays)
In today’s episode, our guest J shares two experiences that highlight the difficulties therapists can have in intercultural therapeutic relationships. We also speak with Dr. Pamela Hays about the ADDRESSING model and other strategies therapists can use to mitigate the impact of their cultural biases in session with clients.
Episode 55 - VBT in History (2000s): Rebirthing Therapy
andace Newmaker was a 10-year-girl who tragically died in the process of rebirthing therapy, a variation of a pseudoscientific treatment of childhood trauma known as attachment therapy. This episode comes with a big trigger warning. If you were in a room where a child was being suffocated, would you do anything to stop her death?
Episode 47 - VBT in History (1980s): Satanic Panic and Recovered Memory Therapy
A satanic panic in the early 1980s culminated in the McMartin Preschool abuse trial, the then-longest and most expensive criminal trial in American history. The trial centered around 359 allegations of ritualistic satanic child abuse and concluded with zero convictions and a new understanding of the unreliability of recovered memories. The satanic panic has subsided, but its indirect effects are still present today in how therapists work with childhood trauma.
Episode 1 - EMDR for Dummies (with Curt Widhalm, LMFT)
EMDR is a groundbreaking, controversial, and maybe not-that-special psychotherapy treatment. We explore the research on its mechanisms and effectiveness before hearing from our guest Justin about his EMDR experience with an overeager therapist. Then, Curt Widhalm, LMFT, EMDR certified, and cohost of The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide sits down with us to answer our questions about EMDR and highlight what went wrong in Justin's therapy.