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

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.

Please celebrate with us!
The launch of our new podcast coincides with our 5 year anniversary of Intentional Therapist, and in celebration of both events we are holding a launch giveaway contest throughout December! Three winners will receive a book of their choice from our list of conventional and not-so-conventional self-care resources (see: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/resources). There are two ways to enter:

1. Subscribe to our free newsletter at: https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/
2. Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist

Winners will be notified in early January 2025. Thanks so much for your support!
Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/
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.