Referring clients out can be difficult for so many reasons, including feelings of failure. Stef shares how going against her gut caused a tricky situation that she struggled to resolve with her client. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a one-month grace period on your account! Did something in the show resonate with you? Help us spread the Am I a Bad Therapist message! Check out our new merch, filled with plenty of sarcasm and bad...

Christine shares her difficulty missing the opportunity to invite a critical part of her long-term client's identity into the clinical room. She shares her experience processing the mistake with the client and how this pivotal moment influenced their work moving forward. Are you looking for resources on how to best ensure you are providing a safe space for your clients and their gender identity? Check out this Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Young People! Connect...

We knew that Rebecca was going to make a great guest after her first question to us was, "Can I make a sex joke?" But it doesn't end there! Rebecca shares her journey in carving out an ethically authentic niche in the field of sex therapy. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a one-month grace period on your account! Did something in the show resonate with you? Help us spread the Am I a Bad Therapist message! Check out our new merch,...

We have an intuition for a reason, but what happens when we go against our gut and agree to work with a client outside our scope of practice? Desiree shares how extra supervision and training didn't protect her against the burnout and self-doubt that come with bending our boundaries. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a one-month grace period on your account! Did something in the show resonate with you? Help us spread the Am I a Bad...

Johanna was taught not to self-disclose in the therapy room, but her story highlights the importance of authenticity and honesty with ourselves and our clients. Listen now to learn how self-disclosure can help prevent burnout, empower clients, and reinvigorate our passion for the field. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a one-month grace period on your account! Did something in the show resonate with you? Help us spread the Am I a Bad...

Which would you rather: attend yoga with your client or your own therapist? What about both? Join us as we hear Samantha share how she ran into that exact situation and how she navigated it. We've talked about dual relationships before, but it is a conversation that is always worth revisiting. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a one-month grace period on your account! Did something in the show resonate with you? Help us spread the Am I...

Do you dream of retiring on your 36th birthday? In this week’s episode, we'll explore how moving away from one-to-one work can bring up feelings of shame and guilt for therapists and counselors. Patrick shares why a shift in perspective is crucial and provides a positive spin on a much-needed conversation. We'll learn how diversifying our income streams and reaching out to a larger audience can make a bigger impact in our lives and communities. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't...

It can be challenging to advocate for clients using our voice, but advocacy is an essential aspect of our work as therapists. Laura Reagan of the Trauma Therapist Network and Therapy Chat Podcast shares a pivotal experience right out of graduate school where she used her voice. While it didn't go as planned, it did help her in the long run. Join us this week as we explore the nuances of advocating for clients and the difficulties that come with it. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and...

Alcohol is a topic that is often discussed in our society, but it can be a divisive issue. People are often seen as either alcoholics or sober, with no in-between. However, Alana highlights the sometimes difficult transition from college to graduate school and the role of alcohol in our personal and professional lives. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a one-month grace period on your account! Did something in the show resonate with you?...

Justin shares his story of leaving the priesthood and working as a school counselor. While there was some overlap between pastoral counseling and school counseling, he quickly learned he was in over his head. While this might seem like a very specific situation, our conversation ends up being incredibly relatable! We laugh, we learn new resources, and so much more in this episode including Justin’s CPR framework - consultation, personal reflection, and refer out! Connect with our sponsor,...

If there are over 100 deaths by suicide each day in America, how many therapists lose a client to suicide each day? While we don't have the exact answer, we must keep discussing suicide. Listen with care and join us as we hear from Emily about an experience she had losing a client to suicide and how she's processing it. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a one-month grace period on your account! Did something in the show resonate with...

Have you ever felt like the systems you learned in grad school didn't actually fit or support the populations you see? We're going to learn all about finding your own style of treatment, decolonizing your practice, and why working harder is not necessarily better in your private practice. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a one-month grace period on your account! Did something in the show resonate with you? Help us spread the Am I a Bad...

Can therapists work in private practice right away, or is there an unwritten rule that we have to first pay our dues in community mental health? Joanna shares her goal of working in private practice right out of graduate school and how our field sometimes makes us feel like we have to "pay our dues" in community mental health first. We explore why it's important to consider all settings when thinking about internship and practicum, what the phrase "boots on the ground" really means, and the...

Join us as we hear from Alexa who has a pretty big trauma response in the middle of a family therapy session. She shares with us how she fails to practice what she preaches and how she managed her reaction without the family noticing. We round out the discussion with much-needed reminders about our humanity as therapists and how to manage our human responses, even if they're in the middle of a therapy session. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't forget to use the code...

Transference and countertransference - we learned about it in grad school and talk about it a lot as clinicians, but do we really break it down enough to understand the impact? Join us as we hear from Becca who shares her journey in understanding and using transference and countertransference in the therapy room. Transference might feel like a familiar topic, but the conversation will go differently than you think! Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't forget to use the code...

Many of us learned a lot about ourselves during COVID, saw how we coped with different situations, and how that could even impact our work as therapists. Join us as we hear from Taylor who realized she had unhealthy coping skills and strategies during that time. Taylor also shares how she recognized when addiction was taking over her life outside of the clinical room, how it may have been impacting her inside the clinical room and what she did about it to manage her career throughout the...

A professional social media presence can sometimes be a double-edged sword. Join us as we hear from Justin who shares a story where *spoiler alert* TikTok might have led to him getting fired! Justin talks about how this experience had a silver lining and lead to tremendous growth in his career. With so many of us on social media, this is the start of a much-needed conversation for modern therapists. Connect with our sponsor, Jane, and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a...

Can you avoid all dual relationships? Leah shares her experiences working and raising children in the same community, including a sparring match between her son and a client's family! Join us as we explore the nuances of dual relationships and parenthood as a therapist. Connect with our sponsor, Jane and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a one month grace period on your account! Did something in the show resonate with you? Help us spread the Am I a Bad Therapist...

Have your hobbies ever conflicted with your clinical work? Join us as we hear from Sam who had an anonymous complaint filed to her ethics board about her being a pole dancing instructor. You won't believe the major assumptions implied about her professionalism! Sam shares with us how she ethically maintains two rewarding careers as a therapist and pole dancing instructor, the double standards that exist in our field, and how she navigates it all. So sit back, grab a pole (or some...

Have you ever been asked to change your gender identity at work? Lou shares what happens when they're asked by their employer to deny their personhood and values to make a few clients feel more comfortable. We explore the systems of oppression that made this situation possible, the lack of communication and support they experienced, and all the b******t that made us want to riot with Lou! We are so honored that Lou shared their story with us, and we are proud to highlight this story...

You log onto TikTok at the end of a clinical day to laugh and unwind, not to see a client talk about your work together come up on your FYP. Listen in to see how Kaylan handles the situation. You won't believe what happens before their next session with the client! Did something in the show resonate with you? Help us spread the Am I a Bad Therapist message! Check out our new merch, filled with plenty of sarcasm and bad therapist humor! Follow Am I a Bad Therapist on Instagram for...

Attraction in the therapy room isn't unusual, since our clients are often sharing their most vulnerable thoughts with us. Although each situation is different, one thing is common - therapists don't talk about it enough! Join us as we hear from returning guest, Ariana, as she shares her story of how she navigated when a client expressed their attraction to her. Did something in the show resonate with you? Help us spread the Am I a Bad Therapist message! Check out our new merch, filled...

Walk and talk therapy with a client by a beautiful pond sounds idyllic, until a gaggle of geese attack! Brandi shares a story that you will not believe, filled with so many twists and turns. Come laugh with us in this hilarious and unbelievable episode that has a surprisingly insightful ending. Connect with our sponsor, Jane and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a one month grace period on your account! Did something in the show resonate with you? Help us spread the Am I a...

A lot of us want to own a thriving group practice, but do we actually understand what running a group practice entails? Gabrielle shares a cautionary tale of the perils that come with running a group practice, as well as how she became clear on the life she wanted to build which ultimately led to her selling her practice. Connect with our sponsor, Jane and don't forget to use the code "BADTHERAPIST" for a one month grace period on your account! Did something in the show resonate with...

We can't believe it, but this episode marks one year for our podcast! Join us as we reflect back on one year of podcasting. We share more untold stories, and we even break out our concept documents and share never heard before names we considered for the show among other details. We laugh, we get emotional, and we are so grateful for the amazing community of therapists that have come together from this podcast. Thank you for being a listener and we look forward to many more years...