The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy Curt Widhalm, LMFT and Katie Vernoy, LMFT

What Therapists Need to Know About Menopause and Perimenopause: An interview with Dr. Sharon Malone, MD
Curt and Katie interview Dr. Sharon Malone, MD, author of Grown Woman Talk, about menopause and perimenopause. We explore the mental health impacts as well as the differential diagnosis when assessing a woman over 40 who might be experiencing this phase of life. We also talk about what good treatment can look like, including discussing the debate about hormone therapies.
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode, we talk about mental health impacts of (peri)menopause
After Katie was diagnosed with perimenopause, she began looking for sources of information on this seldom-talked-about phase of women’s lives. She found Dr. Sharon Malone’s work and was so excited that she agreed to come on to talk about menopause and perimenopause as well as her new book, Grown Woman Talk!
What is perimenopause and menopause?
·      Life stages for women in midlife and beyond
·      Hormonal shifts (not just dropping, but inconsistent through
·      Remodeling of the brain
·      Perimenopause is not short, it can be up to a decade
·      Too often women think they can power through, but it can and should be treated
What are the psychological impacts of perimenopause and menopause?
·      Feeling different or more emotional due to hormonal shifts during up to a decade prior to menopause (when hormones drop)
·      During perimenopause there is an uptick in depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, late onset ADHD, rage, brain fog
·      Perimenopausal mood and psychological changes may be better treated by hormones than by typical psychotropics
·      The differential diagnosis should start with ruling out perimenopause for any woman 40+
What does good perimenopause treatment look like?
·      The most effective treatment of perimenopausal symptoms is estrogen or menopause hormone treatment
·      Too often, women get individual symptoms treated by individual specialists rather than a more global impact of hormone imbalances
·      Hormone treatments can potentiate antidepressant (synergistic effect) for mood concerns
·      We also address the concerns related to hormone treatment (the study was misrepresented)
·      Women should be armed with the questions to ask and collaborate and agree on treatment with their doctors
Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined
Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Conscious and Trauma-Informed Leadership: An interview with Kelly L. Campbell
Curt and Katie interview Kelly Campbell about her work with leaders. We explore the ways in which trauma can impact leaders, their teams, and their organizations. We also look at what trauma-informed leadership coaching can look like, including overarching goals for trauma-informed and high conscious leadership.     
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode, we explore trauma-informed leadership
While writing her book, Kelly Campbell reached out to Curt and Katie to connect with a previous interviewee, Dr. Sidney Stone -Brown. We loved that she is talking about trauma-informed leadership, so we invited her to come on the podcast to talk with us about it.   
 What is trauma-informed leadership coaching?
·      Recognizing that past traumas can impact how someone leads a group
·      Identifying impacts of trauma on a client’s ability to perform the tasks of leadership
·      Working to shift dynamics within leaders (and their teams) based on impacts of past trauma
What are the common impacts of trauma on leaders and their leadership skills?
·      People-controlling behaviors (like micromanagement)
·      People-pleasing behaviors (like not holding people accountable)
·      Lack of trust
·      Impostor Syndrome
·      Attrition of employees
·      Lower profitability (as a lagging indicator)
What is the goal for trauma-informed leadership?
·      High conscious leaders
·      Vulnerability and trust
·      Healing the impacts of trauma on the workplace
·      Refraining from people-controlling or people-pleasing behaviors
·      Modeling a new way of being to shift the company culture
·      Self-advocacy, clear boundaries, and improved communication
Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined
Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Is It Worth It? Analyzing return on investment for your therapy practice
Curt and Katie chat about different types of return on investment (ROI) for a therapist in private practice. We look at what therapists often get wrong when deciding how to invest their time, money, or energy. We also give some ideas of what can be more effective in getting the highest ROI (of all types) for your therapy business and career.
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode we talk return on investment
In response to last week’s episode on managing your money, we had additional ideas on the concept of a return on investment.
What are the different types of return on investment that therapists have in their practice?
·      The financial ROI of money in versus money out
·      How much time spent versus the benefit to your practice and yourself
·      The amount of energy spent (or saved) or the type of energy you have available at different types of day
·      Connections made while networking and how they can be valuable to a therapist (e.g., referral sources, friends, support system, business collaboration)
·      Learning and expertise, continuing education
·      Enjoyment and fun
·      Supporting mission, vision, and/or values, legacy
What do therapists typically invest time, money, or energy in, that don’t have a good ROI?
·      Saying yes to everyone and every opportunity
·      Going to networking with only financial ROI (getting referrals for your therapy practice) as a goal
·      Insufficient marketing (i.e., not staying consistent through enough touch points before someone refers or signs up as a client)
·      Not assessing return on investment for the different types of activities you perform for your practice
·      Getting additional certifications without a clear ROI for your practice

Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined

Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

 

Don’t Forget to Pay Yourself and Other Money Planning Strategies: An interview with Carla Titus
Curt and Katie interview Carla Titus, Fractional CFO about what therapists get wrong when budgeting for their private practice. We explore financial strategies to maintain a viable business as well as how you can grow your business responsibly. We talk about making sure to pay yourself first, then set up a rainy-day fund, and follow that with saving additional extra funds for hiring or new services before you scale.    
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode, we explore what therapists need to know about financial planning for their business
Curt and Katie talk with Carla Titus about financially planning for your business. We look at common mistakes as well as how you can grow while still paying yourself.  
 What does financial planning look like for a therapy practice?
·      Managing cash flow
·      Understanding the Return on Investment for new ventures
·      Running the numbers on costs and revenue, the gross margin
·      Calculating the profitability of adding clinicians or trying new programs
·      Working to get a total profit margin of 10-20%
·      Creating a reserve fund and saving profit to reinvest, when needed
Common Mistakes therapists make when financially planning for their practice
·      Not paying attention to their expenses
·      Not tracking cash flow (i.e., not getting billables timely and having expenses that are due before you have the money on hand)
·      Therapists often avoid looking at numbers
·      Scaling before you have another reserve of money to fund it (2-3 payroll runs for a new employee for example)
What should therapists do before hiring a clinician into their private practice?
·      Save money from profit to reinvest into the business
·      Making sure you have your rainy-day fund prior to adding additional funds to float a new person as they get up to speed
·      Make sure you’re able to pay yourself while bringing on the new hire
·      Order of priority: pay yourself, save for a rainy-day, then save for scaling
How can a therapist manage their “money,” even when they are just starting out?
·      If you’re taking out a business loan or grant, have a plan for how you’re going to use that money
·      Focus on revenue generating ideas to be able to get money and/or pay back loans
·      Expenses should also have a high return on investment for the business longevity and the bottom line
·      Try to avoid shiny object syndrome
·      Know the expectation of the outcome for the money you are spending (for example on marketing)
·      Evaluate outcomes and course correct when needed
·      Beware the sunk cost fallacy
Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined
Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

An Expert Witness Weighs in on Therapist Malpractice: An interview with Dr. Frederic Reamer
Curt and Katie interview Dr. Frederic Reamer about his perspective as an expert witness opining on therapist conduct. We talk about the three types of cases he sees (mistakes, challenging decisions, and misconduct) as well as what therapists can do to protect and set themselves up for success.   
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode, we share an expert witness perspective on therapist mistakes
Curt and Katie talk with Dr. Frederic Reamer about how therapists can get in trouble as well as what an expert witness does when evaluating these therapist mistakes. 
 What do Expert Witness do for cases involving therapists?
·      Evaluate malpractice and standard of care
·      Opine on whether therapists have acted appropriately in their role as professionals
·      Reviewing records, reports, depositions, and testifying on trial
What are the different types of cases that are brought against therapists?
·      Good people making mistakes
·      Challenging ethical dilemmas (i.e., making a decision that is not wrong, but leads to a bad outcome)
·      Misconduct (e.g., having sex with clients, inappropriate dual relationships, impaired therapists)
How can therapists set themselves up to avoid getting sued or licensing board complaints?
·      Appropriate documentation
·      Consultation with colleagues or supervisors (and document this consultation)
·      Have sufficient malpractice insurance
Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined
Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Are You Burned Out or Are You Bored?
Curt and Katie chat about another type of burnout, “bore out.” We explore the difference between burnout and boredom. We talk about what might be unique to therapists’ jobs that would lead to boredom. We also dig into how dissociation can show up as either burnout or boredom. Finally, we share ideas on how modern therapists can mitigate some of the impacts of burnout, boredom, and vicarious trauma.
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode we talk about both burnout and “bore out”
Katie has been feeling a little bit bored lately, so she decided to do some research on what might be happening. She uncovered a concept “bore out” which seems to be the opposite of burnout, but with similar consequences. We decided to dig into this topic to see what therapists can do to try to avoid (or address) burnout.
What are the differences between burnout and boredom?
·       Burnout is overstimulation to the point of running out of energy
·       Boredom is under-stimulation to the point of lack of creativity and stagnation
·       Burnout is a pretty common topic, but “bore out” never really took off
·       People more likely to leave a job due to boredom
What are the types of boredom that therapists face?
·       Clinical boredom (repeated stories, lack of progress)
·       Repetitive clinical work (due to niche, evidence-based practice)
·       Notes and documentation are frequently described as boring
·       Trauma therapists may become cynical
·       Vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and moral injury
·       Desensitization and disengagement of vicarious trauma can feel like boredom
·       Dissociation may also be part of this disengagement
What can therapists do to address boredom?
·       Clinical consultation and your own therapy
·       Professional development and continuing education
·       Refreshing your knowledge and bringing new techniques into session
·       Adequate stimulation to get work done
·       Doing things in small doses
·       Reframing things to make them more positive (not “onerous” or “boring”)

Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined

Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/