Kate and Michelle talk about the challenges and successes they've experienced with establishing friendships in adulthood. They discuss the reasons why adult friendships are difficult to start and maintain and provide tips for how you can start connecting with new people and making friends yourself. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebo…

Kate and Michelle talk about each of their relationships with their fathers during childhood and adulthood. They both share how they have found close connections with their fathers, as well as sharing flaws and past incidents of hurt. They also share suggestions for men who are fathers and how to heal wounded father relationships as an adult. TRIGG…

The holiday season is upon us! Kate and Michelle talk about each of their own childhood memories from the holidays, both positive and challenging. They share how they each celebrate holidays currently as adults. They also share suggestions that may help you during this time of year if you find yourself struggling to cope with stresses this time of …

Kate and Michelle share about their current struggles in their marriages and their reasons for deciding to stay with their husbands in spite of the challenges. They both share tips for how to seek support and adjust your thinking if you also find yourself in a struggling relationship that you want to continue. Support the Show. If you'd like to joi…

Kate and Michelle are joined by special guest Sarah Kardelen to talk about coercive control in romantic relationships. Coercive control is a specific type of intimate partner violence defined as "a pattern of controlling behaviors that create an unequal power dynamic in a relationship." Sarah and Kate share their stories followed by Sarah, Kate and…

Kate and Michelle are joined by Ashley Wilkinson as she and Kate discuss their experiences living with ADHD. They both talk about how it felt to be diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood and open up about how ADHD impacts their daily lives. Strategies are shared for how to help manage ADHD while also having compassion for yourself. Support the Show. If y…

Michelle is joined by Jason Wilkinson to talk about conflict avoidance in romantic relationships. Michelle and Jason both talk about how their childhoods and past experiences have led to avoiding conflict in their marriages and how therapy has helped them work on this. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: www.facebook.…

Kate and Michelle are joined by Shannon Heers, a perinatal mental health therapist, to talk about post-partum experiences, specifically the challenges of the "4th trimester" (the first three months after giving birth). Michelle and Shannon share their experiences with transitioning to motherhood and also share valuable tips and resources. Support t…

Kate and Michelle announce that the frequency of episodes will now be reduced and explain reasons for making this decision. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: www.facebook.com/groups/thecouchandthechair If you want to be a guest, have a topic idea in mind or any other questions/feedback, send us an email at thecoucha…

Kate and Michelle are joined by special guest Chris Campassi to talk about panic attacks. Chris and Kate share their stories and backgrounds prior to experiencing panic attacks and how they each experience intense anxiety. Tips are shared for how to prevent panic attacks and take care of yourself during and after them. TRIGGER WARNING: Material tha…

Kate and Michelle are joined by Dr. Tara Sanderson to talk about experiences with burnout. Tara shares how she started noticing burnout during COVID and Michelle talks about being burnt out at a job she worked at 10 years ago. Tips are shared at the end of the episode about how you can prevent and treat burnout if you start to notice it yourself. T…

Kate and Michelle talk about their sexual histories and how past sexual experiences have either been helpful or harmful to their mental health. They both share how they are re-inventing their sex lives currently and tips that can help you do the same if you want to find more authentic sexual pleasure. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Fac…

Kate and Michelle talk about living as females and messages they have received about three different topics: what it means to take care of other people, how the female body is viewed by others (specifically men), and the ability to keep yourself safe/take care of yourself. TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is discussed from 49:55-51:…

Kate and Michelle talk about personal experiences with chronic pain throughout their lives, including how they accepted it and how it impacted their mental health to experience it. They share tips for how to start treating your body with greater kindness if you also experience chronic pain. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group…

Kate and Michelle talk about how they personally engage in self-care as well as challenges they've experienced with making room for it in their lives. They share tips based off of what they've learned for how you can prioritize self-care yourself. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: www.facebook.com/groups/thecouchand…

Kate and Michelle are joined by Rebecca Nystrom to discuss childhood trauma. Rebecca and Kate share personal experiences of childhood trauma followed by a discussion about ways to process childhood trauma in therapy, reducing blame, and finding other support resources. TRIGGER WARNING: The topic of this episode may be triggering as a whole to many.…

Michelle is joined by Catherine Lee to discuss perfectionism. Both Michelle and Catherine share their personal histories with perfectionism and how therapy has helped them become less perfectionistic over time. They also talk about tips that may be helpful in combating perfectionism for those who struggle with it, too. Support the Show. If you'd li…

Kate and Michelle are joined by Jaclyn George to discuss self-harm. Jaclyn and Kate share personal experiences of self-harm followed by a discussion about ways to cope with self-harm, "do's" and "don'ts" for what to look for in a therapist and how they address this topic, how self-harm is similar to addiction and how to support a loved one who self…

Kate and Michelle are joined by Phebe Brako-Owusu to discuss the topic of sexual trauma. Phebe and Kate share personal experiences of sexual trauma followed by a discussion about how you can start healing if sexual trauma is something you've experienced personally at any point in your life. TRIGGER WARNING: The topic of this episode may be triggeri…

Kate and Michelle are joined by Dr. Jessica Lamar to discuss the topic of disenfranchised grief. Dr. Jessica gives a detailed overview of what ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief are before Michelle shares her personal experience with disenfranchised grief after her ex-partner died suddenly. TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is …

Kate and Michelle talk about personal experiences with in-laws, specifically being disliked by in-laws and living with them. They also share tips for communicating with in-laws and keeping these relationships healthy. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: www.facebook.com/groups/thecouchandthechair If you want to be a g…

Kate and Michelle share their personal substance use histories, including reasons for why they've used substances in the past and why they currently use (or don't use) substances now. They discuss three suggestions at the end for increasing awareness about your own choices with substances. TRIGGER WARNING: The theme of this episode may be triggerin…

Kate and Michelle talk about their own personal struggles with impostor syndrome, both personally and professionally. Along the way, they both talk about their new business ventures and how they are actively working on combating impostor syndrome now. Finally, they share helpful tips for how to overcome this common experience. Support the Show. If …

Kate and Michelle talk about their experiences with ending relationships amicably in the past, including what transitioning to friendship has looked like when a relationship is over. They both offer suggestions about what you can do to increase the likelihood of parting ways amicably if you're in a relationship that ends. TRIGGER WARNING: Material …

Kate and Michelle talk about their personal experiences with religion and spirituality and how they found spiritual practices that they both enjoy currently. They also talk about their perspectives on the importance of religious/spiritual beliefs and practices as part of overall well-being. TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is discus…

Kate and Michelle talk about their relationships with food, specifically how their experiences in childhood and young adulthood continue to impact their decisions with food today. They also share tips and suggestions for increasing awareness about your own relationship with food. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: ww…

Kate and Michelle each discuss their own personal challenge and issues with body image throughout their lives while also sharing helpful ways to start cultivating appreciation for our bodies. TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is discussed from 7:15-12:35, 14:20-15:00, and 35:45-36:30. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Faceb…

Kate and Michelle talk about experiences with losing friends over the years. They also share reflections on the evolution of their own friendship and offer suggestions for how you can cope if you're experiencing the loss of a close friendship yourself. TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is discussed from 42:02-42:23 and from 50:05-50:…

Kate and Michelle will be taking a break from podcasting for a few months, but don't worry - it's for a good reason as Michelle transitions to motherhood :) Listen to the announcement for more details! Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: www.facebook.com/groups/thecouchandthechair If you want to be a guest, have a top…

Kate and Michelle talk about their ongoing personal struggles with people-pleasing and where these challenges originate for each of them. They also share strategies for how they help clients struggling with this same issue. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: www.facebook.com/groups/thecouchandthechair If you want to …

Kate and Michelle discuss how climate change can affect our mental health and lead to feeling hopeless and powerless. They discuss ways to maintain a realistic perspective about the state of the world, while also focusing on what you can control in your immediate environment to make a difference. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook…

Kate and Michelle are joined by Denise Hie, a fellow therapist who struggled for years with her mother's mental health struggles before her mother died a few years ago. Kate also shares about the ongoing challenges she faces with her mother's mental health while her mother is still living. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode may be difficult to listen to…

For better or worse, money is a necessary part of life. Kate and Michelle both share their personal histories with money and how this has influenced Kate to be more of a "spender" and Michelle to be more of a "saver." They both offer insights into how to become better balanced with both saving and spending. TRIGGER WARNING: Please note that materia…

Kate and Michelle discuss personal challenges with finding confidence throughout their lives and share how they help their clients work on becoming more self-confident. TRIGGER WARNING: Please note that material that may be triggering is discussed from 5:30-6:55. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: www.facebook.com/gr…

Kate and Michelle share their personal experiences with pregnancy loss, abortion and infertility. They both share what has been helpful for them when healing from these losses. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode may be triggering in general for those who have experienced any kind of pregnancy, abortion or infertility loss. Specific triggering material i…

Kate and Michelle are joined by a special guest, Emily Wood. Emily and Kate both share their personal struggles with setting boundaries. Emily talks about how to embrace boundaries as a form of self-care and to let go of responsibility for others' responses. TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is discussed from 12:25-14:10 and from 16:…

Kate and Michelle are joined by a special guest, Rachel Elder. Rachel and Michelle both share their personal experiences with transitional anxiety. Rachel talks about the importance of finding connection with others during transitions for support and manifesting positive outcomes when transitions are occurring. Support the Show. If you'd like to jo…

Kate and Michelle are joined by a special guest, Dan Kelley-Petersen. Dan and Kate both share their personal experiences with finding life-work balance. Dan also talks about the true definition of "career" and offers tips and advice to help you find balance in this area yourself. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: ww…

Following up on last episode about having a partner who struggles with mental health issues, Kate and Michelle discuss relationship experiences with a partner who struggles with substance abuse. They discuss resources and important reminders in the second part of the episode if you're struggling with this yourself. TRIGGER WARNING: Material that ma…

Kate and Michelle discuss common challenges that can arise when you're in a relationship with a partner who also struggles with mental health issues. They also both talk about what's been helpful for them in relationships and strategies for taking care of yourself. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: www.facebook.com/…

Kate and Michelle talk about their personal struggles with allowing themselves to feel angry in the past and also share what's helped them express anger now and how they help their clients with their anger. TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is discussed from 5:33-8:12 and from 9:15-12:30. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the F…

Kate and Michelle talk about how their connections with their therapists have evolved over time and been healing. They also discuss how it feels as therapists to care about their clients and the difference between healthy and unhealthy therapeutic boundaries. TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is discussed from 1:06:05-1:06:20. Suppor…

Kate and Michelle discuss their own experiences with depression as well as tips they recommend to their clients who struggle with depression. TRIGGER WARNING: Material that may be triggering is discussed from 4:11-9:56 and from 13:16-14:00. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: www.facebook.com/groups/thecouchandthechai…

Meet Kate and Michelle! In this first episode, they introduce themselves by talking about when and why they started therapy as well as talking about how they became therapists. TRIGGER WARNING: Please note that material that may be triggering is discussed from 29:20-30:30. Support the Show. If you'd like to join the Facebook group, go to: www.faceb…