Thrivival 101: A Fresh Take on Self-Care for Female Mental Health Clinicians Intentional Therapist

In this special podcast episode, we, Dr. Melissa Tiessen and Dr. Karen Dyck, dedicate our discussion to what is perhaps our favourite 'C' from our 4 C's model of self-care—Courage.  We provide a quick overview of our 4 C’s model of self-care and why Courage is the C that we like discussing the most, as well as why we view it as the essential fuel that helps to move us from thinking about and planning self-care activities to acting on them.  And we had the pleasure of incorporating audio clips submitted by members of our Intentional Therapist community to highlight the importance of Courage in self-care as well as how Courage intersects with our other C’s and with a willingness to be vulnerable.  We end the episode by sharing some of the ways Courage has shown up in our own self-care journeys.     
Episode highlights:
A brief overview of the 4 C’s model of self-careWhy Courage is such an important part of our modelHow Courage can show up in both our work and personal lifeThe connection between Courage and a willingness to be vulnerableHow we have incorporated Courage into our own self-careThank you so much to all the like-minded Intentional Therapist community members who shared their courageous self-care examples for this episode!
 
We would love to hear your own courageous self-care acts and plans!  Just go to:    https://www.speakpipe.com/IntentionalTherapist 
Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/

Sign up for our newsletter to receive access to our FREE '4 C's' mini-course:
https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca

Thrivival 101 is proud to be part of the PsychCraft Network - a collaboration of independent podcasters out to change the world! Learn more at:
https://psychcraftnetwork.com/

Disclaimer: Thrivival 101 is a podcast that seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

Listening to the wisdom of our body is an essential component of self-care, yet how often do we truly embrace this?  Do we even know what that would look like?

In this episode we speak with Courtney Amo, Dr. Julie Beaulac, and Casey Bergland, the authors of the book entitled The Mind Body Way: The Embodied Leader’s Path to Resilience, Connection, and Purpose. Our guests use the term “leader” in a broad sense to include both the traditionally recognized leadership roles but also those that we might not ordinarily think of.  So, whether you’re in a supervisory role where you’re leading a team or simply just leading yourself, this episode is for you.  Our guests discuss exactly what is meant by the term “embodiment” and some of the reasons we struggle to listen to our bodies. We also explore the authors’ 6 pillar framework and it’s overlap with our 4 C’s framework, focusing specifically on the importance of courage and connection.  We end off by hearing about our guests’ favorite “non-conventional” self-care practices.        
Episode highlights:
What exactly is “embodiment” and why is it so importantWhy we ignore the wisdom of our bodiesHow taking on risks and practicing courage contribute to embodied leadershipThe role of connecting with ourselves and others in being an embodied leaderJulie, Courtney, and Casey’s favorite “non-conventional” self-care practicesCourtney Amo is a certified yoga instructor and the founder of Mahaa, an independent yoga, retreat, lifestyle coaching, and consulting practice that promotes inclusive and barrier-free access to well-being.  Julie is a certified yoga teacher and a clinical, health, and rehabilitation psychologist in private practice who helps individuals, groups, and organizations enhance their performance and satisfaction by becoming more engaged in their lives.  And Casey is a yoga instructor and certified professional coach who recently founded Worthy and Well, an online coaching and training company.  Casey focuses on helping her clients become embodied leaders without burning out or neglecting their bodies’ wisdom. 

Connect with Courtney:
https://mahaa.ca/

Connect with Julie:
https://drjuliebeaulac.com/

Connect with Casey:
https://letyourbodylead.com/
Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/

Sign up for our newsletter to receive access to our FREE '4 C's' mini-course:
https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca

Thrivival 101 is proud to be part of the PsychCraft Network - a collaboration of independent podcasters out to change the world! Learn more at:
https://psychcraftnetwork.com/

Disclaimer: Thrivival 101 is a podcast that seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

As clinicians we often speak with our clients about the importance of boundaries but how often do we actually apply that same wisdom to our own self-care?  

In this episode we speak with psychologist Kim Long about the incredibly important yet uncomfortable topic of boundaries.  Kim shares some of the common misconceptions about boundaries, some of the reasons why this is so hard for female clinicians, and how this might show up differently if we’re working in a public versus private setting.  We go on to explore the warning signs that might suggest we need to strengthen our boundaries and Kim shares her perspective about how resentment is actually envy in disguise.  Kim also explains why listening to our bodies is such an important step in identifying our boundaries.  
 Episode highlights:
The common misconceptions about boundariesWhy setting boundaries is so hard for female cliniciansWarning signs that suggest we need to work on our boundariesWhy listening to our bodies is such an important step towards identifying our boundariesKim’s favorite “non-conventional” self-care practicesKim Long has a master’s degree in counseling psychology and is a registered psychologist in Alberta.  In 2016 Kim opened Dochas (the Gaelic term for hope) Psychological Services.  Kim’s practice has grown over the years and now includes a team of professionals who work with clients to discover their strengths, identify what’s getting in their way, and help them find the life they want.  Kim and her team have also developed The Dochas Life Jacket App, a free app that provides self-regulation support: https://www.dochaspsych.com/lifejacket-app/
Connect with Kim:
https://www.dochaspsych.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dochaspsych/
https://www.facebook.com/DochasPsych/
Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/

Sign up for our newsletter to receive access to our FREE '4 C's' mini-course:
https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca

Thrivival 101 is proud to be part of the PsychCraft Network - a collaboration of independent podcasters out to change the world! Learn more at:
https://psychcraftnetwork.com/

Disclaimer: Thrivival 101 is a podcast that seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

As female mental health clinicians we receive multiple messages or “scripts” through our socialization as women and mental health clinicians about things like professionalism, productivity, caregiving and even what it means to be a “good therapist” and a “good woman.”  And the reality is, these messages come from systems that are based in a western, capitalist, patriarchal society.  In this episode we speak with Silvana Espinoza Lau about how these “scripts” and oppressive symptoms impact female mental health clinicians in general, as well as some of the unique impact these messages have on female clinicians with marginalized identities.    
Episode highlights:
How the “scripts” we receive about professionalism, productivity, serving others, and being a “good therapist” impact female cliniciansThe key topics missing from clinicians’ conversations with one anotherFactors contributing to the Imposter Syndrome and how it affects clinicians differentlyWhat clinicians can do to limit the negative impact of oppressive symptoms on their self-careWhy embodied connections are so importantSome of Silvana’s best non-conventional self-care practicesSilvana Espinoza Lau is an embodied liberation and decolonization consultant and coach for mental health professionals. Silvana coaches mental health professionals who want to incorporate decolonized, liberation focused and anti-oppressive values in their practices in an embodied way and consults with mental health agencies that want to center therapy seekers with minoritized identities.  Silvana is also an LMFT in private practice in the unceded Kalapuya territory (Oregon), and a clinical supervisor and consultant to both licensed and pre-licensed clinicians with a focus on anti-oppressive and decolonized practices.

Connect with Silvana:
https://seventhselfcounseling.com
https://www.instagram.com/seventhselfcounseling/
Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/

Sign up for our newsletter to receive access to our FREE '4 C's' mini-course:
https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca

Thrivival 101 is proud to be part of the PsychCraft Network - a collaboration of independent podcasters out to change the world! Learn more at:
https://psychcraftnetwork.com/

Disclaimer: Thrivival 101 is a podcast that seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

In this long overdue episode, we, Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen, discuss the factors that led us to start Intentional Therapist and begin hosting this podcast, Thrivival 101.  We also explain why we believe self-care is a four-letter word, share how we are redefining self-care, and how our 4 C’s framework - Connection, Compassion, Courage, and Creativity - can help female clinicians (regardless of our work setting) put more of ourselves into our schedule and create a life from which we don’t need to escape.        
Highlights:
What led Melissa and Karen to start Intentional Therapist and Thrivival 101How self-care has become a four-letter word How we’re redefining self-care for female cliniciansThe 4 C’s framework:  Connection, Compassion, Courage, and CreativityHow getting “messy” is such an important part of self-careSome more of Melissa and Karen’s favourite nonconventional self-care practicesDr. Karen Dyck completed her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at the University of South Dakota.  She currently works in private practice in Oakbank, Manitoba and is also the Executive Director of the Manitoba Psychological Society.  Before shifting to private practice, Karen spent the bulk of her career working within the Rural and Northern Psychology Program at the University of Manitoba’s Department of Clinical Health Psychology and was the founding chair of the Rural and Northern Psychology Section of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA).    

Dr. Melissa Tiessen completed her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at McGill University and currently works in private practice in Winnipeg, Manitoba, having recently moved from a group practice in Ottawa, Ontario.  Melissa has previously worked in the Rural and Northern Psychology Program at the University of Manitoba’s Department of Clinical Health Psychology, within the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program through the University of Ottawa/The Ottawa Hospital Heart Institute, and has served as the Education Director for the CPA, overseeing the organization’s accreditation and continuing education activities.

In 2019 Karen and Melissa co-founded Intentional Therapist, which we developed to help female mental health clinicians redefine our approach to self-care and start putting more of ourselves into our schedule. 
Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/

Sign up for our newsletter to receive access to our FREE '4 C's' mini-course:
https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca

Thrivival 101 is proud to be part of the PsychCraft Network - a collaboration of independent podcasters out to change the world! Learn more at:
https://psychcraftnetwork.com/

Disclaimer: Thrivival 101 is a podcast that seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.

In this episode we connect with Dr. Stephanie Grunewald, psychologist, coach, and entrepreneur, to learn more about her RESET model and how she helps her clients achieve a life and business aligned in purpose.  Stephanie shares some of the common traps impacting ambitious women and how her own experience of connecting with her values resulted in her making the very intentional decision against expanding her own counseling business.  She also explains her RESET model and how her work highlights the importance of community and nature.  We end the episode, as always, hearing about Stephanie’s “non-conventional” self-care practices.  
Episode highlights:
Common traps impacting ambitious women’s self-careHow connecting with her own values influenced Stephanie's decision to NOT grow her own businessHow she incorporates her RESET model into her workThe importance of community and nature Stephanie’s favorite “non-conventional” self-care practiceStephanie Grunewald, PhD is a psychologist and holistic coach. After experiencing burnout while building her group counseling practice, she realized the toll of deprioritizing herself. Following the death of her mother, she felt a calling to incorporate lessons from nature to change the way women build their businesses. She expanded her work to coaching where she focuses on developing the whole person — working on the personal mindset and habits that unlock business growth. Dr. Grunewald offers mastermind groups and reset retreats to help women entrepreneurs prioritize their wellbeing to create intentional and sustainable success.   
Connect with Stephanie:
www.ancorio.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-grunewald-phd/
Instagram: @stephanie_grunewald
FREE Guide to Break Free from Busy: Unlocking Success through Efficiency 
https://ancorio.com/guides/break-free-from-busy


Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/

Sign up for our newsletter to receive access to our FREE '4 C's' mini-course:
https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca

Thrivival 101 is proud to be part of the PsychCraft Network - a collaboration of independent podcasters out to change the world! Learn more at:
https://psychcraftnetwork.com/

Disclaimer: Thrivival 101 is a podcast that seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.