Image: Episode 497 artwork for Skill Issue or Systemic Reality? featuring a laptop on a desk with Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide branding.

Skill Issue or Systemic Reality? Systems, Platforms, and What Therapists Are Still Responsible For

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Skill Issue or Systemic Reality? Systems, Platforms, and What Therapists Are Still Responsible For A payer cuts reimbursement by 12 percent and adds a six page renewal form. A platform runs your credentialing, your marketing, and your client…
Image: Episode 496 artwork for Knowing When They're Ready for Deeper Work. A close-up of a person stepping down to a lower stair appears beneath a dark purple overlay. The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide logo and continuing education podcourse designation are displayed.

Knowing When They’re Ready: Navigating the Shift from Stabilization to Deeper Work in Psychotherapy

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Knowing When They’re Ready: Navigating the Shift from Stabilization to Deeper Work in Psychotherapy A client who has spent months in survival mode takes a breath and says they are ready to open the box. Something in most of us wants to say…
Image: Episode 492 artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide titled “Clinical Depth: Not Tools, Hacks, and Sound Bites.” The graphic features a view beneath the surface of deep blue water, reinforcing the episode’s focus on clinical depth.

The Clinical Depth Principle: Why Therapy Cannot Be Reduced to Tools, Hacks, and Sound Bites

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The Clinical Depth Principle: Why Therapy Cannot Be Reduced to Tools, Hacks, and Sound Bites Tools have their place. If a square breathing exercise keeps a client from throwing their phone across the room, that is a good outcome. But somewhere…
Image: Episode 487 artwork for Modern Therapist's Survival Guide titled "Sustainability is a Fundamental Responsibility." The graphic features a small green seedling growing from rocky soil, symbolizing resilience, growth, and building a sustainable therapy practice.

Sustainability Is a Fundamental Responsibility: Therapist Burnout, Moral Injury, and the Systems We Practice Within

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Sustainability Is a Fundamental Responsibility: Therapist Burnout, Moral Injury, and the Systems We Practice Within Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT open a new set of conversations on the modern therapist principles, beginning with…
Image: Episode 486 artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide titled “What It Means to Be a Modern Therapist,” featuring Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy in front of an image of a therapy chair.

What It Means to Be a Modern Therapist: The Principles That Guide Our Work

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What It Means to Be a Modern Therapist: The Principles That Guide Our Work After nearly nine years and almost 500 episodes, Curt and Katie step back to name what this show actually stands for. In this episode they lay out the guiding principles…
Image: The graphic features the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide branding with the title "Episode 485: Are We Really Better at Empathy Than the Bots?" A small yellow toy robot stands against a neutral background, representing the discussion about AI and empathy in mental health care. The podcast website appears in the lower left corner.

Are We Really Better at Empathy Than the Bots? What the Research Says About AI in Therapy

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Are We Really Better at Empathy Than the Bots? What the Research Says About AI in Therapy If you spend any time in therapist Facebook groups, you’ve seen the take: AI is a soulless, venture-backed box that could never do the real work of…
Image: Episode artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide, Episode 483, titled "When Clients Bring AI to Therapy." The background shows a person using a smartphone to interact with an AI chatbot. The title appears prominently over the image with Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide branding.

When Clients Bring AI to Therapy: Working with ChatGPT, Sycophancy, and the New Third Wheel in the Room

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When Clients Bring AI to Therapy: Working with ChatGPT, Sycophancy, and the New Third Wheel in the Room Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT take on a question they hear constantly from listeners and audiences: what happens when clients…
Image: Podcast artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Episode 481, “AI & Therapist Ethics Codes.” The graphic features a blurred laptop and AI chat interface in the background with the episode title in large text. The episode explores new AI ethics guidance from CAMFT, APA, NASW, ACA, and AAMFT for mental health professionals.

AI Ethics Codes for Therapists: What CAMFT, APA, NASW, and AAMFT Now Require

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AI Ethics Codes for Therapists: What CAMFT, APA, NASW, and AAMFT Now Require Curt and Katie break down how the major mental health ethics codes have been updated for artificial intelligence. Centering on the new CAMFT updates and cross-referencing…
Image: Podcast artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Episode 479 titled “Should Conversion Therapy Be Protected Speech?” The image shows the U.S. Supreme Court building in the background with the episode title in large white text.

Should Conversion Therapy Be Protected Speech? What Chiles v. Salazar Means for Conversion Therapy Bans and the Future of the Profession

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Should Conversion Therapy Be Protected Speech? What Chiles v. Salazar Means for Conversion Therapy Bans and the Future of the Profession A note before we begin: This episode is a clinical and professional discussion, not legal advice, and Curt…
Image: Podcast artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Episode 478 titled “Good Enough, Safe Enough: Affirming LGBTQ+ Clients When You're Not a Specialist.” The graphic features a Progress Pride flag waving against a dark blue background with the episode title displayed prominently in white text.

Good Enough, Safe Enough: Affirming LGBTQ+ Clients When You’re Not a Specialist

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Good Enough, Safe Enough: Affirming LGBTQ+ Clients When You're Not a Specialist When an LGBTQ+ client lands in your office and you are not a specialist, the standard advice is to refer out. That advice is well-intended, and sometimes it is…