Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen

Self-care shouldn’t be another task on your to-do list! This is the show that helps you as a busy and dedicated female mental health therapist to redefine your approach to self-care. Because we need so much more than bubble baths and breathing exercises!
Hosted by Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen, clinical psychologists, founders of Intentional Therapist, and self-care advocates, our mission is to help you build a life where you thrive right alongside your clients, without guilt and without burning out. Join us as we explore practical strategies grounded in our 4 C’s model – Connection, Compassion, Courage, and Creativity – to help you create more space for yourself while continuing to support your clients.
Whether you work in a solo private practice, within a large organization, are a new grad, or are nearing retirement, this show has something for you. Tune in for short but valuable episodes filled with relatable and insightful new perspectives, actionable ‘self-care experiments’, and the encouragement and permission you need to put more of you back in your schedule and create a life from which you don’t need to escape.
To learn more about Intentional Therapist and our 4 C’s model of self-care, visit us at: www.intentionaltherapist.ca
[Please note: This podcast was previously called Thrivival 101, and you can continue to find our original interview episodes in this podcast feed.]

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Top 10 Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

The Impact of 'Scripts' and Oppressive Systems on Our Self-Care: A Conversation with Silvana Espinoza Lau

Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

11/02/23 • 46 min

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 clinicians
The key topics missing from clinicians’ conversations with one another
Factors contributing to the Imposter Syndrome and how it affects clinicians differently
What clinicians can do to limit the negative impact of oppressive symptoms on their self-care
Why embodied connections are so important
Some of Silvana’s best non-conventional self-care practices

Silvana 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:
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/
Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist
Disclaimer: This podcast 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.

Intentionally Incorporating Self-Care to Create Sustainable Success: A Conversation with Dr. Stephanie Grunewald

Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

09/07/23 • 43 min

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-care
How connecting with her own values influenced Stephanie's decision to NOT grow her own business
How she incorporates her RESET model into her work
The importance of community and nature
Stephanie’s favorite “non-conventional” self-care practice

Stephanie 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

Intentional Time Off: A (Second) Conversation with Arianna Smith

Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

01/09/23 • 48 min

In this episode we reconnect with Arianna Smith, licensed professional counselor (LPC) and copywriting coach for therapists, to learn more about her 2-month sabbatical and her transition back to work. Arianna shares some of the challenges associated with planning and returning from a sabbatical, what she learned about herself as a person and a therapist, and how she’s used this information to reshape her work and personal life. She also shares some tips for how to make the most of a sabbatical and talks about other ways therapists can intentionally take breaks in meaningful ways. We end this episode, hearing about Arianna’s newest “non-conventional” self-care practices.

Highlights:

The important difference between “time off” and a “sabbatical”
Some of the challenges of planning for and returning from a sabbatical
Steps Arianna took to maximize her time away from work
What she learned about herself during her sabbatical
How pre-planning/over-planning for your return can interfere with the process
How her sabbatical helped her develop deeper connections
Arianna’s favourite “non-conventional” self-care practice

Therapist by day, copywriter by night, Arianna Smith, LPC (she/her), helps therapists write words that sound like them and attract their ideal clients. Her mission is to help therapists shatter their creative blocks and write words brimming with punch + personality.
Connect with Arianna:
[email protected]
www.thecopycove.com
www.courageouscopywriting.com
www.facebook.com/thecopycove
Access Arianna's free training Banish Bad Copy: Masterclass for Therapists to help you up-level your copy. This is also the best way to find out more about her upcoming webinars and other offerings.

Developing an Authentic, Energy Protecting Lifestyle: A Conversation with Enid De Jesus

Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

05/04/23 • 42 min

Female mental health clinicians face many barriers to engaging in truly meaningful self-care practices, perhaps the most powerful of which are societal messages that encourage us to adopt a self-sacrificing way of being that focuses primarily on the needs of others. In this episode we have the pleasure of speaking with Enid De Jesus, a Florida Licensed therapist and coach who’s made it her mission to help sensitive introverted women create lives that honor their own needs.
Enid shares how her own experiences of breaking free from unhelpful narratives and unapologetically honouring her own introverted needs led her to creating an authentic, energy protecting lifestyle. Now if that isn’t self-care, we don’t know what is! Enid also discusses the fears that showed up along the way, what she found helpful to overcome them, and how protecting her energy was an integral component of this process.
Highlights:

What is meant by the terms “introverted” and “highly sensitive” women
Some of the unhelpful narratives that were particularly impactful for Enid
The patterns/trends of energy draining activities for women
How Enid managed the fears that showed up in her journey to live a more authentic life
One step listeners can take to develop a more authentic, energy protecting lifestyle
Enid’s favorite “non-conventional” self-care practices

Enid De Jesus is a Florida licensed therapist and introvert coach for sensitive women around the world. She’s figured out the secret to being a successful, sensitive, introverted woman — and loves to help other ambitious introverts do the same. As a highly sensitive person (HSP) and introvert herself, Enid knows the challenge of balancing authenticity with societal pressures. That is why she created The Radical Introvert coaching program designed specifically for sensitive introverted women who want to live life on their terms.

Connect with Enid:
https://eniddejesus.com - The Radical Introvert Coaching Program

Behind the Scenes of Intentional Therapist & Thrivival 101: A Conversation with Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen

Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

10/05/23 • 52 min

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 101
How self-care has become a four-letter word
How we’re redefining self-care for female clinicians
The 4 C’s framework: Connection, Compassion, Courage, and Creativity
How getting “messy” is such an important part of self-care
Some more of Melissa and Karen’s favourite nonconventional self-care practices

Dr. 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.

Fitting Finances Into Your Self-Care: A Conversation with Linzy Bonham

Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

01/31/22 • 31 min

Finances and self-care? Yep, that’s right! Although not typically considered part of traditional self-care, money and finances figure prominently in our fresh take on self-care for female mental health clinicians. In this episode we speak with Linzy Bonham, MSW, RSW, founder of Money Nuts & Bolts, about the important role finances and money play in self-care, some of the warning signs that we might need some assistance with money related issues, and what we can do to start feeling more on top of our finances.

Episode highlights:

What led Linzy to create her signature course, Money Skills for Therapists
How money skills fit into self-care
Factors that contribute to unique money related issues for female therapists
Steps you can take today to start feeling more on top of your finances
Linzy’s best “non-conventional” self-care practice

Linzy Bonham is a therapist in private practice, a consultant who helps therapists feel calm and in control of their finances, and the creator of the Money Skills for Therapists course. As the daughter of an accountant, Linzy inherited a good dose of bookkeeping brain. She's like half therapist, half bookkeeper. So when she went into private practice, she dug right into all the ways to build a healthy business that pays for her life and always has extra money in the bank.

Now Linzy helps therapists develop peace of mind about their money. Since so many of us were never taught about money, she focuses on the 'how' of making the financial side of private practice doable, and even super satisfying - feeling competent and calm about your money is pretty swell!

Resources:

Free Mini-Training: The Secret to Getting Unstuck in Your Business Finances:
https://moneynutsandbolts.com/resources

Connect with Linzy:
https://www.moneynutsandbolts.com
[email protected]

Making Organizational Systems Part of Self-Care: A Conversation with Liz Gray

Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

03/09/23 • 45 min

When female clinicians think of self-care the term “organizational systems” probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind (probably not even the last thing). Yet, having effective organizational systems in place at work (and home) can be such an important step in our self-care journey as they have the potential to help us feel less overwhelmed, work more efficiently, and (by doing so) can help us put more of ourselves into our day. In this episode we speak with Liz Gray, the founder of Organize and Thrive, about her passion for organizational systems, why so many of us avoid putting them in place, some early warning signs that suggest a clinician might need some support with organization, and some simple steps clinicians can take right now towards developing a more organized work system.
Highlights:

How organizational systems fit into self-care for Liz.
Some common barriers to setting up effective organizational systems
How the barriers differ across settings and gender
Simple steps clinicians can take to become more organized
How Focusmate has become an important part of Liz’s accountability system
Liz’s favorite “non-conventional” self-care practices

Liz Gray is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and "Organization Queen" on a mission to help highly sensitive entrepreneurs gain time, flexibility, and freedom by harnessing the power of systems in their businesses. Using her royal combination of mindset and systems savvy, Liz delivers powerful transformations for overwhelmed therapists during her signature Organize & Thrive VIPDays. When she's not creating spreadsheets or color-coding lists, you can find Liz cuddling with her mini goldendoodle Bailey or exploring Chicago with her husband Dave.

Connect with Liz:
https://organize-and-thrive.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/organizeandthrive1
https://www.instagram.com/organizeandthrive1/
https://www.focusmate.com/organize-and-thrive.com
Schedule a Focusmate coworking session with Liz: https://www.focusmate.com/i/8eVvELjnFZ
Schedule a 90-minute consultation with Liz:
https://organize-and-thrive.com/quick-fix-consult-2022
Access Liz's free resource - Simple Screening System for New Client Inquiries

E6: It’s not you, it’s your wiring: 4 ways our evolutionary wiring makes self-care challenging (but not impossible!)

Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

02/03/25 • 13 min

We’re about to explore something that may surprise you—your brain’s survival instincts are still influencing how you approach self-care, and they might be working against you. Have you ever wondered why saying "no" feels impossible or why you can't seem to prioritize yourself no matter how hard you try? What if the answer lies in how our brains are wired for survival, and how that wiring affects everything from guilt to stress?

In this episode, we’re going to unpack how your evolutionary wiring could be sabotaging your best self-care efforts. But here’s the good news—once you understand this, you’ll have the power to work with your brain, not against it. We’re sharing insights on why it’s so hard to break the cycle, along with practical strategies you can start using today to make more room for yourself. So, stick around—by the end of this episode, you’ll have a whole new perspective on your survival and your self-care.

Episode Highlights:

4 ways evolutionary wiring impacts self-care:
- Conservation of energy
- Acceptance of the tribe and the role of guilt
- Scarcity of resources
- Living for today
Self-Care Experiments:
- Recognize your signs of ‘survival mode’
- Respond kindly to guilt
- Create a ‘Not to do’ list

Resources Mentioned:

Healthy Habits Suck: How to Get Off the Couch and Live a Healthy Life...Even if You Don't Want To by Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley
Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection by Dr. Yael Schonbrun
Our past podcast interview with Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley
Our past podcast interview with Dr. Yael Schonbrun
Visit our website to get your own copy of our FREE 4 C's Self-Care Assessment: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca

E9: Documentation is not the enemy! How to use the 4 C’s to make documentation your self-care ally

Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

03/17/25 • 18 min

Have you ever thought of documentation as a form of self-care? Of course, probably not! We know that more likely, documentation often feels like a time-consuming, mentally draining task that takes away from the work you truly care about. But we are here to try to convince you that documentation can actually be a key part of our self-care. Yes, you heard that right. There are ways to turn this often stressful task into a tool for personal and professional well-being.

So what if, instead of adding to our stress, documentation could be part of the solution? In this episode, we’ll discuss how our 4 C’s model—Connection, Compassion, Courage, and Creativity—can transform your approach to notes and reports. Whether you’re already overwhelmed by your documentation or just looking for a more intentional approach, we’ll share actionable strategies and experiments to help change the way you think about both self-care and documentation.

Episode Highlights:

How documentation fits into self-care
How normal it is to struggle with documentation
Applying the 4 C's to documentation

Self-Care Experiments:

Create a notes template
End your sessions on time

Resources Mentioned:

Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey's website, QA Prep, and her book, Stress Free Documentation
Our past podcast interview with Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey
Visit our website to get your own copy of our FREE 4 C's Self-Care Assessment: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca

Infusing Some Creativity Into Our Self-Care: A Conversation with Dr. Jo Eckler

Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

02/04/22 • 28 min

With all the heaviness and responsibility that often comes with our work - especially throughout the pandemic - it’s easy to lose touch with the more playful and creative side of ourselves. Yet the reality is, these are foundational to our existence as human beings (yes, even adult human beings) and can actually help us build complex, skilled, responsive, socially adept and flexible brains. Which, in turn, build complex, skilled responses, socially adept and flexible people and societies. Sounds pretty good hey?
In this episode we speak with Dr. Jo Eckler about their awesome books (with some of our favourite titles!) and get their perspective on how creativity fits into self-care and some warning signs that we need to infuse more creativity into our lives. We also get some great ideas about how to start bringing more creativity and play into our work and personal lives - including a pretty fun way to add a new 'client' to our caseloads!
Episode highlights:

What led Dr. Jo to write their book on therapist self-care
How creativity fits into self-care
Factors that make it hard for clinicians to bring creativity and play into our lives
Some simple steps to start bringing more creativity and play into our lives
Dr. Jo’s best “non-conventional” self-care practice

Dr. Jo Eckler is a licensed clinical psychologist with nearly two decades of experience helping people learn ways to cope with emotions and build more meaningful lives. They've worked in community mental health, university counselling centers, multiple Veterans Affairs hospitals, nursing homes, and now private practice. Since they're a recovering overachiever, Dr. Jo's also an author, a coach, a registered yoga teacher, and is trained as a death & mourning doula. The author of I Can't Fix You-Because You're Not Broken: The Eight Keys to Freeing Yourself From Painful Thoughts and Feelings and You Can't Fix Them--Because They're Not Broken: A Sustainability Guide for Tired Helpers and Healers, they've also appeared in numerous media outlets, including O Magazine, Health, Bustle, and Huffington Post. When not working, Dr. Jo is likely watching the Great British Baking Show, playing with their dachshund and polydactyl cat, or down an internet rabbit hole learning about something new.

Connect with Jo:
https://www.drjoeckler.com

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FAQ

How many episodes does Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule have?

Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule currently has 45 episodes available.

What topics does Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule cover?

The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Thrive, Mental Health, Podcasts, Self-Improvement, Education, Female and Therapist.

What is the most popular episode on Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule?

The episode title 'Integrating Wellness Into Your Practice: A Conversation with Dr. Kimberly Grocher' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule?

The average episode length on Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule is 36 minutes.

How often are episodes of Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule released?

Episodes of Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule are typically released every 28 days.

When was the first episode of Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule?

The first episode of Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule was released on Jan 31, 2022.

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Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen

Top 10 Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule have?

What topics does Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule cover?

What is the most popular episode on Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule?

What is the average episode length on Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule?

How often are episodes of Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule released?

When was the first episode of Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule?

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