Advertise on podcast: The Affirming Minds Podcast

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?**   View course information and earn CE/CEUs here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/fb93a29f-c8b3-435f-91a1-eb521f6bbe36 Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com.  What happens when insight becomes another way to stay at a distance from what we feel? In this episode, Shaina is joined by Lorain Moorehead, LCSW, PMH-C, EMDR Approved Consultant, therapist, and clinical supervisor, to explore intellectualization in therapy. They discuss how intellectualization can function as both a sophisticated form of protection and a barrier to emotional processing—particularly for high-achieving and psychologically minded clients. The conversation explores how intellectualization develops, how to distinguish insight from emotional processing, the roles of certainty and overcontrol, and ways therapists can work with this pattern without shaming or pathologizing a strategy that may have helped a client feel safe and successful. They also discuss therapist countertransference, AI and rumination, and clinical approaches including RO-DBT, ACT, EMDR, and parts work. Connect with Lorain Moorehead: Instagram & TikTok: @theselfcareapist

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?**   View course information and earn CE/CEUs here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/c264e836-a6a9-4023-aa2c-bcf465dd8226  Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com.  What happens when childhood looked “fine” on paper, but something still feels missing? In this episode, Shaina Siber, LCSW talks with therapist Carli Kilbourne, LPC about childhood emotional neglect, including how it differs from emotional abuse, why it can be difficult to recognize, and how unmet emotional needs can shape attachment, self-concept, and adult relationships. They discuss people-pleasing, hyper-independence, emotionally immature parenting, achievement-focused families, grief, boundaries, and healing through approaches such as EMDR, parts work, and reparenting. Carli Kilbourne is a licensed therapist, educator, and trauma-informed content creator who works with high-functioning people-pleasers and adult children of emotionally immature parents. Find Carli at: @authenticaftherapy Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/carli-kilbourne-phoenix-az/1138739

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?** Earn continuing education credit for this episode here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/0b54bd3e-8449-4113-a495-722f7f5b381e    Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com.   This episode explores opioids through a behavioral health lens, with attention to pain, prescription opioid use, opioid misuse and opioid use disorder, diversion, overdose risk, and recovery. The discussion distinguishes tolerance and physical dependence from addiction, reviews signs of problematic opioid use, and examines how stigma, bias, prescribing practices, and inequities in pain treatment can shape clinical care. The course also addresses the changing opioid landscape, including illicitly manufactured fentanyl, counterfeit pills, polysubstance use, naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and other harm-reduction strategies. Treatment approaches for opioid use disorder are reviewed, including methadone, buprenorphine, extended-release naltrexone, contingency management, motivational interviewing, CBT, ACT, DBT, peer support, and recovery resources. Throughout, the focus remains on what behavioral health clinicians need to recognize, assess, discuss, and respond to within their scope of practice.

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?**   View course information and earn CE/CEUs here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/883839f8-bb1a-4dab-97bf-4966b1a7be13 Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com.  In this episode of The Affirming Minds Podcast, host Shaina Siber, LCSW, is joined by Lou Lasprugato, LMFT, to explore how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be applied within couples therapy. The conversation focuses on yearnings—deep, enduring psychological longings for experiences such as connection, security, validation, understanding, partnership, and shared meaning—and how they influence relationship patterns. Shaina and Lou discuss how ACT’s psychological flexibility processes can be extended interpersonally, how threat responses and underlying vulnerabilities can contribute to conflict, and how clinicians can help couples move toward greater flexibility, safety, connection, and values-guided action. The episode also highlights practical ACT-informed interventions for couples, including workability, “us as context,” co-regulation, and experiential exercises that support relational change.

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?** Earn continuing education credit for this episode here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/9c5ad152-0781-4b43-8ec1-77cc4e1be9c0    Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com. Suicide assessment is only the beginning of suicide care. In this continuing education podcourse, we move beyond identifying risk to explore how clinicians can formulate suicide risk, directly address suicidal thoughts and behaviors, develop collaborative safety plans, reduce access to lethal means, and determine appropriate levels of care. We discuss suicide-specific approaches including CAMS, CBT for Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP), and DBT, as well as the role of psychiatric treatment and interdisciplinary coordination. The course also explores chronic suicidality, medication considerations, hospitalization and alternatives to hospitalization, post-crisis care, and more complex presentations involving violence risk, postpartum psychiatric emergencies, financial crises, and emerging technology.

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?** Earn continuing education credit for this episode here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/9ca63c70-af79-4f1b-8853-b5efcca3c0f6    Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com. Suicide is one of the most complex and consequential issues mental health professionals encounter. In this CE-eligible episode of the Affirming Minds Podcast, Shaina Siber, LCSW, explores what we know about why suicidal thoughts develop, what increases the risk that thoughts become actions, and why understanding suicide requires looking beyond diagnosis alone. We explore psychological pain, hopelessness, entrapment, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, trauma, mental illness, chronic pain, social conditions, minority stress, and access to lethal means. We also examine how human cognition and our capacity to imagine the future may contribute to suicidal suffering. The episode considers major theories in suicidology, disparities in suicide risk, the distinction between suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior, and the complicated role of psychiatric hospitalization. Throughout the conversation, the focus remains on understanding the individual person: What has become unbearable? What feels impossible to escape? And what does the person believe suicide would solve?

Child sexual abuse prevention is a conversation every therapist should be part of. In this Mental Health Edit episode, Shaina sits down with Chris Yadon of Saprea to discuss child sexual abuse prevention, survivor healing, child-on-child sexual abuse, healthy sexual development, disclosure, the evolving role of technology and AI in exploitation, and practical ways clinicians, parents, and communities can help protect children. Chris also introduces Saprea's incredible free resources, including prevention education, support groups, online learning, and a trauma-informed retreat for adult survivors. Resources: Saprea: https://saprea.org/ If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague. Together, we can help bring these important conversations to more clinicians.

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?** Earn continuing education credit for this episode here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/9e17027a-8651-4111-b994-8a5bb1a76741    Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com. How do trauma and attachment shape the way we connect with our closest relationships? In this episode, Shaina speaks with Kathy Gusenkov, LMFT, about how developmental trauma influences adult relationships and explores trauma-informed approaches to fostering safety, co-regulation, and secure functioning in couples therapy.

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?** Earn continuing education credit for this episode here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/1909ad83-0f64-4ba6-aeef-7ccaeeea044d  Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com.   Psychosis has long been viewed through a medical model focused on symptom reduction—but recovery is about much more than eliminating symptoms. In this episode, Shaina sits down with Maggie Mullen, LCSW, DBT-LBC, to explore recovery-oriented, disability justice-informed approaches to psychosis. Together, they discuss common misconceptions, reducing stigma, person-centered care, and the emerging role of psychotherapy—including DBT—in supporting individuals experiencing psychosis.

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?** Earn continuing education credit for this episode here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/3aac8a4c-169b-45df-8c69-882ed09bdbd1  Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com.   Demand for mental health care continues to grow while therapists face increasing rates of burnout, workforce shortages, administrative burden, and rapid technological change. In this episode, Shaina sits down with therapist, consultant, and bestselling author Joe Sanok to explore how organizational psychology and intentional work design can help clinicians build more sustainable, fulfilling careers. Together, they discuss the science of productivity, decision fatigue, autonomy, and workplace design, challenging the idea that burnout is simply an individual problem to solve with better self-care. Whether you work in community mental health, hospitals, integrated care, leadership, or private practice, this conversation offers practical, evidence-informed strategies for supporting both clinician well-being and high-quality client care.

What can a reality television show teach us about trauma, belonging, faith, and identity? In this Mental Health Edit episode, I’m joined by Mellissa Perry Hill, LPC, owner of Inner Compass Counseling & Consulting. Using The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives as a starting point, we explore religious trauma, high-control belief systems, gender roles, childhood trauma, mental health stigma, public shaming, and the challenges of healing while living in the public eye. In This Episode, We Discuss: Religious trauma and faith transitions High-control religious systems Shame, belonging, and community pressure Gender roles and patriarchy Childhood trauma and sexual abuse Mental health stigma Public accountability vs. public shaming Reality TV, social media, and culture Healing and reclaiming personal autonomy About Today's Guest Mellissa Perry Hill, MS, LPC, is the owner of Inner Compass Counseling & Consulting and specializes in religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and faith transitions. She works with individuals, couples, and families throughout Arizona and Utah. Connect with Mellissa Website: https://inner-compass-counseling.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mellissaperrytherapy/ Related Episode 🎙️ Episode 40: Healing After High-Control Religion and Religious Trauma For a deeper clinical discussion of religious trauma and faith transitions, be sure to check out Mellissa's previous CE-eligible appearance on The Affirming Minds Podcast.

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?** Earn continuing education credit for this episode here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/b38c1a67-776b-47e3-a5fb-24250e5cd456    Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com.   Psychologist, author, speaker, and Linehan Board-Certified DBT Expert Dr. Kiki Fehling joins The Affirming Minds Podcast to discuss LGBTQ+ mental health, minority stress, identity invalidation, and the role of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in fostering resilience, self-love, and queer joy. Together, we explore the history of LGBTQ+ mental health care, affirmative practice, and how DBT skills can help individuals navigate shame, stigma, and discrimination while building lives that feel meaningful, authentic, and connected. Dr. Fehling is the author of The LGBTQ+ Mental Health Workbook: Find Emotional Resilience, Self-Love, and Queer Joy with Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?** Earn continuing education credit for this episode here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/b9e9c5e6-8afd-4568-be2b-bde2515290c2  Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com.     What does it mean to be trauma-informed, and how is trauma-informed care different from trauma treatment? In this episode of The Affirming Minds Podcast, host Shaina Siber-Sanderowitz, LCSW, explores the foundations of trauma-informed care, PTSD, Complex PTSD, post-traumatic growth, and the current landscape of evidence-based trauma treatment. Listeners will learn about SAMHSA's Four R's and Six Guiding Principles, the impact of trauma across the lifespan, and several established and emerging approaches to trauma treatment. Shaina is joined by Mariah Zur, LPC, for a conversation about Internal Family Systems (IFS), including how the model conceptualizes trauma responses through protective parts, exiles, and self-leadership.

In this episode of The Affirming Minds Podcast: Mental Health Edit, Shaina sits down with Taylor Gilbert, LCSW, and Faith Voss., LCSW, co-hosts of the Social Work to Wealth Podcast, for a candid conversation about money, sustainability, and the hidden financial narratives within helping professions. Together, they explore: The “you’re not in it for the money” culture in social work and mental health Financial shame, burnout, and martyrdom in helping professions Gender, systemic inequities, and compensation disparities Why financial wellness is an ethical issue for clinicians How money impacts career sustainability, burnout, and access to opportunity Private practice, salary transparency, and wealth-building for social workers The role of systemic barriers, financial literacy, and advocacy in mental health professions This episode is part of our Mental Health Edit series — conversational episodes focused on mental health, culture, systems, and professional life. These episodes are not eligible for CE credit. 🎧 Check out the Social Work to Wealth Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/social-work-to-wealth-podcast/id1783920058 Learn more about Taylor & Faith’s work and CE offerings:https://socialworktowealth.com/learn  Shaina’s Book: Using ACT and CFT for Burnout Recovery: The Beyond Burnout Blueprint Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVGKT76Z?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PM97TMRJV2HQ49N1SXNE&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PM97TMRJV2HQ49N1SXNE&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PM97TMRJV2HQ49N1SXNE&bestFormat=true Paperback:https://www.routledge.com/Using-ACT-and-CFT-for-Burnout-Recovery-The-Beyond-Burnout-Blueprint/Siber/p/book/9781041074304

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?** Earn continuing education credit for this episode here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/55b39c15-128a-466e-9fcf-4b24a1114dcd   Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com.     What happens when survival mode becomes an identity? In this episode, Shaina sits down with Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist Caleb Chestnutt to explore the mental health impact of chronic stress, trauma exposure, hypervigilance, and emotional suppression within military and law enforcement culture. Drawing from both his clinical work and his lived experience serving in military law enforcement roles in the U.S. Air Force, Caleb offers a grounded and deeply nuanced conversation about the culture of endurance that exists within many first responder spaces — and the ways it can quietly shape relationships, emotional regulation, identity, and help-seeking over time. This is a thoughtful and deeply human conversation about trauma, endurance, identity, and the emotional cost of operating in systems that reward strength while often stigmatizing vulnerability.