Episode 108. Hi all! This episode was a super fun one for me. Basically, you get to sit down and hear a conversation with my dear friend Dr. Allie Richards. In this conversation, our goal was to have an honest conversation about our career trajectories as psychologists and how we've both strayed fairly far from much of the training we got in how to conduct psychotherapy, and the truth about why. I laughed a lot in this conversation. Allie is incredibly smart, thoughtful, and honest in this conversation and I so appreciate her coming on the podcast and having this conversation with me. If you are a therapist or professional wanting to know more about the behind the scenes thoughts of psychologists or just a human wanting to understand two psychologists who are on the path of un-learning a lot of what we've been taught, then this conversation is for you! What to Expect in this Interview In this episode, we have an honest conversation about: * Places we believe psychology training gets it right, and the strengths we got from our psychology, research-focused training * Where the field is missing the mark, and how it has impacted us professionally and personally * The pros and cons of diagnosis and symptom-focused treatment * How and why we both got into Internal Family Systems and more somatic-focused psychotherapy approaches * How the line that Allie heard over and over from clients "I intellectually get that I'm not a failure, but I don't feel it" influenced her personally and professionally * The ways Internal Family Systems have allowed both Allie and Shawn to truly experience self-compassion for the first time (this point is a big one) * How Internal Family Systems helps us shift the paradigm from control to freedom * How Allie learned to enjoy cleaning her car, but no longer does so with a toothbrush * And much more! “I know I shouldn’t focus on weight loss, but…” (Polarized Parts Alert!) Are you feeling unsure how to guide a client who wants to improve their relationship with food, but also wants to lose weight? We offer this super cool transformational exercise that can help your clients work to understand their polarized parts, build self-trust and listen to their intuition! This free PDF gives step-by-step instructions for doing one of my all-time favorite exercises (based on Internal Family Systems theory) to explore polarized parts. It will help clients get to know the parts of themselves without judgment, understand their intention, and create empowerment and harmony in their bodies. This is hands-down one of the best ways I’ve found to help support client autonomy and build self-trust at the same time. I can’t wait to share it with you! Sign up today to use this innovative tool! Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider-patient relationship.