Advertise on podcast: Therapist Unplugged

What happens to a marriage when becoming parents stops feeling simple? IVF can look like a clean plan on paper: appointments, medication, an embryo transfer, a baby at the end. Then real life shows up with unknowns, failed cycles, and the kind of grief that doesn’t fit neatly into a timeline.  In this deeply honest episode of Therapist Unplugged, Laurie Poole sits down with a couple willing to share the emotional reality of infertility, miscarriage, and IVF. Catherine and Tim open up about the grief, pressure, hope, isolation, and unexpected intimacy that shaped their five-year fertility journey. Together, they talk about the emotional toll IVF takes on a relationship, the loneliness couples often experience in silence, and the way infertility can quietly consume everyday life.  If you or someone you love has experienced infertility, IVF, miscarriage, or the emotional weight of trying to grow a family, this conversation offers honesty, comfort, and a reminder that you are not alone. Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

What if the reactions you can’t explain… aren’t coming from your present at all? In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, Laurie Poole sits down with guest Julia Satterlee to explore a question that quietly shapes so many of our lives: who’s really driving the car? Together, they unpack the impact of inner child work and how early emotional experiences continue to influence the way we think, react, and show up in our relationships today. From childhood conditioning to unconscious beliefs about worth, safety, and love, this conversation offers a deeper look at why certain patterns feel so hard to break. Julia shares how triggers in adulthood often point back to unresolved wounds, and how learning to meet your own emotional needs can shift the way you relate to yourself and others. They also explore how relationships act as mirrors, why conflict can be an opportunity for healing, and what it really means to come back to yourself. This is a conversation about awareness, compassion, and the kind of work that doesn’t always look easy but changes everything. --------------- Julia Satterlee is a life and relationship coach, speaker, and intuitive who specializes in inner child healing and personal transformation. She facilitates inner child healing workshops, retreats, and coaching sessions designed to help people reconnect with themselves and create more aligned, authentic lives. Connect with Julia: Instagram & TikTok: @juliasatterleecoaching Booking + offerings: Available via her Paperbell: https://paperbell.me/julia-satterlee Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

Conflict is inevitable in relationships. The real question is what happens next. In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, Laurie Poole reconnects with longtime mentor and respected couples therapist Connie Cornwell to explore one of the most important skills couples often lack: the ability to repair after conflict. Laurie and Connie discuss why couples often get stuck in painful conflict cycles, how family-of-origin patterns shape the way we show up in relationships, and why flexibility has become increasingly important in modern partnerships. They also explore the emotional skills that make repair possible—from learning to understand multiple perspectives to developing the ability to pause and observe our own reactions in the middle of conflict. If you want better communication, deeper emotional intimacy, and a relationship that can grow instead of get stuck, this conversation is a great place to start. Connie Cornwell, MA, LMFT-S, LPC-S, brings more than 30 years of experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Approved Supervisor. She is a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a member of the American Family Therapy Academy. Connie serves as Senior Supervisor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Family Studies Center in the Department of Psychiatry, where she trains and supervises interns, psychiatry residents, and medical students. Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

What if midlife weight gain isn’t simply about willpower? In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, Laurie Poole sits down with Dr. Richa Mittal of Radiant Health Weight Loss and Wellness to talk about the complex relationship between hormones, metabolism, and weight during midlife. Together, they explore what many women experience during perimenopause and menopause—changes in sleep, mood, energy, and body composition that can feel confusing and frustrating. Dr. Mittal explains why the common advice to simply “eat less and move more” often misses the bigger picture. From hormonal shifts and visceral fat to the role of nutrition, sleep, and muscle mass, this conversation reframes midlife weight gain through the lens of metabolic health rather than blame. You’ll hear: Why hormonal changes can affect weight, mood, and energyThe difference between visceral fat and other types of body fatHow nutrition, sleep, and gut health influence mental and physical wellbeingThe role of GLP-1 medications and when they may be helpfulWhy self-compassion matters more than diet culture during midlifeIf you’ve ever felt like your body suddenly started playing by different rules, this episode offers clarity, science, and a more compassionate way to think about midlife health. Learn more about Dr. Mittal’s practice, Radiant Health Weight Loss and Wellness, at myradianthealth.com She also writes about midlife wellness, nutrition, and metabolic health on her blog Life, Fully Nourished, which you can find at richamittalmd.com Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

What if Valentine’s Day didn’t have to feel like a performance? In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, Laurie Poole is joined by therapist and colleague Heather Caballero to rethink a holiday that often brings more pressure than connection. Together, they explore how early memories, social comparison, and cultural expectations can quietly shape how we experience February 14th. Instead of defaulting to crowded restaurants or obligatory gestures, Laurie and Heather talk about designing a day that actually fits your life. From honoring your love language to widening the circle beyond romantic partners, this conversation offers permission to celebrate connection in ways that feel steady, personal, and real. Whether you’re partnered, single, somewhere in between, or simply tired of the Hallmark script, this episode invites you to make Valentine’s Day your way. Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

What if mental health care didn’t have to feel rushed, reactive, or one-size-fits-all? In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, Laurie Poole is joined by psychiatrist Dr. Christian Monsalve for a grounded conversation about integrative psychiatry and what thoughtful care looks like in practice. Together, they explore why many high-functioning people continue to feel unsettled despite doing everything “right,” and how slowing down can support long-term stability without swinging to extremes. If you’ve ever felt unsure about your mental health care, questioned whether medication adjustments were the whole answer, or wanted a steadier way to understand what’s happening beneath the surface, this conversation offers a more intentional perspective. For more information about working with Dr. Monsalve, visit Verigrate Health at www.verigrate.com Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

Grief doesn’t follow a script. It surges in kitchens after laughter and settles into quiet corners of the day, especially when loss compounds across months.  In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, Laurie Poole and Courtney Strull from The Montfort Group have an honest conversation about processing grief after the loss of loved ones. Courtney shares her experience of losing multiple family members in a short period of time, including her father, and how grief reshaped her sense of time, identity, and the way she chooses to live. Whether you’re navigating your own grief, supporting someone you love, or simply trying to understand loss more deeply, this conversation offers space, language, and permission to be exactly where you are. Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

What if the hardest chapters of your life became the experience that makes you a steadier presence for others? Angela Johnson joins Laurie for her first conversation as The Montfort Group’s inaugural practicum fellow — a role shaped by a long, honest road back to herself. Her path into counseling took the scenic route: a career in education, a complicated pregnancy, divorce, blended family challenges, and the quiet shock of the empty nest. The result is a therapist-in-training with an uncommon mix of humility, clarity, and practical wisdom. In this episode, Laurie and Angela talk openly about what real-life experience brings into the therapy room, especially when clients are navigating the messy spaces between roles like co-parenting, blending families, redefining partnership, or figuring out who they are when the kids leave. Angela offers the kind of insight that comes from living it — slow pacing, healthy boundaries, clarity around discipline, respect for each child’s loyalties, and a deep understanding of what helps a new family system hold. Angela begins seeing clients this December, and her work is especially supportive for women in transition, parents navigating blended families, and couples trying to protect the foundation they’ve built. If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy or finding a guide for this next chapter, this is a beautiful way to meet her. Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

What happens when education is completely reimagined around the individual student? Alexandria Armstrong, Director of Admissions at Fusion Academy in Plano, reveals the transformative power of their one-to-one teaching model where every class consists of just one teacher and one student. Alexandria draws from her decade of experience in education and her personal journey as a homeschooled student with ADHD to explain why this revolutionary approach works for students who struggle in traditional settings. She shares how Fusion's holistic methodology addresses not just academics, but emotional wellbeing and social development—creating breakthrough moments for students who previously felt misunderstood or overlooked. The conversation explores how COVID-19 accelerated changes in student socialization that were already underway, while examining the balance between digital communication and essential face-to-face connection. Alexandria offers fascinating insights into how Fusion creates a customized daily experience for each student—from flexible start times to dedicated homework cafes where students complete assignments on campus and connect with like-minded peers. Most powerfully, Alexandria describes the visible transformation as students find their place at Fusion: "You see their shoulders roll back and their posture change" as they discover an educational environment where they're truly seen and understood. For parents of students with learning differences, social anxiety, unique scheduling needs, or those simply needing a different approach, this episode offers hope that education can be reimagined to help every student thrive. Ready to learn more about personalized education options? Visit fusionacademy.com to explore their 80 campuses nationwide or contact Alexandria directly. Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

Laurie interviews clinical herbalist Nicole Haglund about how Chinese medicine can help women restore balance to their hormones and nervous systems for better mental health. Nicole explains her journey from disordered eating to becoming an expert in women's health after successfully helping her husband overcome Crohn's disease through natural methods. • Women today are experiencing burnout trying to balance careers, family responsibilities, and personal wellness • Chinese medicine identifies patterns of symptoms rather than treating isolated complaints • Magnesium deficiency is a common underlying cause of anxiety and stress • The nervous system must be regulated before herbs and nutrition can effectively work • Tongue diagnosis reveals internal health issues by examining color, shape, and coating • The gut-brain connection plays a crucial role in both emotional and physical wellbeing • Passion flower is particularly effective for people who struggle with overthinking • During perimenopause, depleted adrenal glands must take over hormone production • Nicole's Beauty Reset program provides customized herbal formulas, dietary guidelines, and nervous system support For more information about working with Nicole, visit her Instagram @FixingYourFlow and DM the word "reset" to learn about her 90-day program. Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

Can one relationship meet all your needs? In this eye-opening episode of Therapist Unplugged, married couple Leland and McKenzie share how their connection evolved from a casual Tinder hookup to a deeply committed polyamorous marriage. With raw honesty and humor, they explore what it takes to build trust, communicate openly, and challenge traditional relationship norms. From navigating jealousy to redefining intimacy, their story is full of insights for anyone curious about ethical non-monogamy, polyamory, or simply wanting to improve communication in monogamous relationships. Whether you're questioning societal expectations or just want a deeper look at what honesty in partnership really means, this conversation will shift your perspective. Key Topics: Ethical non-monogamy & polyamoryCommunication in modern relationshipsTrust and emotional transparencyLetting go of unrealistic expectationsLove beyond traditional structuresQuote Highlight: "Being able to tell your partner ‘I find this person attractive’—just something as simple as that—removes so many barriers of other things to communicate about." — McKenzie Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

When was the last time you had an honest conversation about sex after 60? In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, host Laurie Poole is joined by sex therapist Edita Ruzgyte for a candid look at aging, desire, and intimacy in later life. They challenge the idea that good sex requires a perfect body and explore how deeper emotional connection can lead to more fulfilling sexual experiences as we grow older. You’ll hear: How to talk about sex and boundaries—at any ageWhat changing bodies mean for intimacyWhy desire doesn’t expireHow to reignite connection in long-term relationshipsWhether you’re curious about what’s possible or ready to reclaim your sexual vitality, this conversation is your invitation to start. Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

Ready to reset your nervous system? In this calming episode, therapist Laurie Poole leads you through a guided Progressive Relaxation practice designed to release physical tension, quiet your mind, and bring your body back to a state of balance. Progressive Relaxation is a simple yet powerful technique that helps reduce stress, improve sleep, and build long-term emotional resilience. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or just need a moment to breathe—this session is your invitation to pause and reconnect. By the end, you’ll feel more grounded and better equipped to bring this calming practice into your daily routine. Ideal for: Stress relief and anxiety managementTransitioning from work to restMind-body connection and emotional reset Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

Feeling overwhelmed? Press play and pause the chaos. In this brief but powerful guided meditation, therapist Laurie Poole walks you through a calming mental reset—designed to help you relax your body, quiet your thoughts, and reconnect with the present moment. Whether you're new to meditation or just need a quick reset, this practice offers a gentle invitation to slow down, breathe deeply, and return to yourself. Meditation can help: Reduce stress and anxietyIncrease emotional awarenessImprove focus and claritySupport long-term nervous system regulationLet this be your moment of calm in the middle of it all. Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup

What happens when two therapists get real about men in therapy? This candid conversation delivers profound insights about why men struggle with emotions and how therapy can create transformative spaces for authentic expression. Therapists Laurie Poole and Rhett Smith explore how boys receive messages as early as age five that emotions aren't safe to express, creating lifelong patterns that emerge in relationships and personal identity. They candidly discuss the challenges men face developing emotional vocabulary and navigating societal expectations that often leave them feeling inadequate or ashamed. Through powerful clinical examples, they reveal how failure and shame become central emotional triggers for many men and reframes vulnerability as strength rather than weakness.  Whether you're a man struggling with emotional expression, someone who loves a man wrestling with these issues, or a therapist working with male clients, this episode offers compassionate understanding and practical wisdom about creating spaces where men can bring their whole selves – emotions included. Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup