Edge of the Couch
Episodes
Working with Despair
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When despair shows up in session, it can be challenging to know how to respond. It's delicate. You don't want to move too quickly, tip into ...
Treating Different Clients Differently
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, em...
We Wish Your Mom Would Go To Therapy
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, em...
What is 'Fit'?
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, em...
What Makes Someone a Specialist?
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we answer a DM about new grads calling themselves 'specialists' right out of school. We share about what we think the stand...
Working with Clients who Thrive on Drama
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, em...
Is Therapy a Cult?
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, em...
Therapy Beyond Individual Work
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, em...
Self-Awareness Can Become Its Own Problem
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Self-awareness is a gift, right? Until it isn’t. Self-awareness can help us grow, connect, and live more fully. But when it goes too far, it can cry...
Oversaturation Part 2: Fit and Rejecting Competition
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time on Edge of the Couch, we’re bringing you a Part 2! The response on Instagram (@edgeofthecouchpod!) to the topic of oversaturation...
Oversaturation: Graduate Programs and the Importance of Gatekeeping
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back for Season 9 of Edge of the Couch! And hello to those of you who might be just starting your grad programs and finding us for the first t...
Imposter Syndrome Revisited
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode of the season, we revisit the topic of imposter syndrome. We talked about imposter syndrome in the very first episode of the podc...
Examining the "Victim Mentality"
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do therapists mean when they say someone has a "victim mentality"? In this episode, we unpack this flippant term and explore what’s g...
Who is The Villain?
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever found yourself being the villain in someone else’s story? In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to be perceived as "the...
Working "Harder" Than Your Client
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Has another therapist ever told you, “You shouldn’t work harder than the client”? In this episode, we talk about what people really mean when th...
Honing Your Therapist Intuition
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You know those moments in session when something inside says, "Something just shifted", "Pause here", or "Hmm..this is not li...
Time to Grieve
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In light of the recent mass killing at the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver, we decided not to publish an episode this week. We're honouring t...
Let's Talk About Mean Therapists
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are therapists who "call out" their clients more effective? This week, we’re responding to a Reddit post from a therapist who proudly clai...
When Therapists Miss Key Information
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
All therapists miss essential information-- things like self-harm, abuse, and disordered eating. These can have major consequences.In this episode, we...
Working with Intellectualizing
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re talking about a dynamic that (dare we say) all therapists are familiar with: working with clients who over-intellectualize. W...
Are We "Treating" Our Clients?
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are we "treating" our clients, as in doing something *to* them, or *with* them? In this episode, we dig into situations where therapy aligns...
Being a Therapist on Social Media
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Social media is one of the most impactful frontiers for therapists right now. So many questions are coming up for therapists at this time-- should I h...
When the Client Hits a Nerve
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every therapist has been there. You’re in session and suddenly something your client says hits a nerve. Maybe it’s a detail in their story that pu...
How to Get the Most Out of Supervision
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Supervision and consultation are a core part of being a therapist, whether in practicum, newly graduated, or a decade into practice (and beyond).In th...
The Trend of ‘The Cool Therapist’
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trends in the therapy world come and go. Girl-bossing, therapists-as-content-creators, and now “the cool therapist”. Maybe you’ve seen the same ...
Talking to Clients About Politics
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the most intense political landscape that we’ve ever experienced as therapists. Many of our clients are also hugely impacted by policies bei...
When Clients Set Unrealistic Expectations
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a client expects therapy to “fix” them or assumes their therapist will always have the wise, perfect answer? In this episode, we...
Opening a Private Practice: Our Personal Stories
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re so happy to be back after our holiday hiatus. We're starting the new season with a highly requested topic-- opening a private practice. S...
Live Q+A
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Being a Therapist in 2024 conference at the beautiful Jane Headquarters in North Vancouver. In this special...
Working with Discernment
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can we support clients in navigating the big life decisions, including to stay or leave relationships, choose career paths, or family planning? In...
Managing Crisis (Without Becoming a Crisis Worker)
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Content note: This episode discusses suicide and abuse. Are therapists crisis workers? We believe that the role of the therapist and the role of the ...
What Does 'Following the Client' Mean?
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Did you hear the phrase “follow the client” in graduate school and wonder what it really means in practice? In this episode, we dive into the nuan...
When Does Compassion Cross Over into Complicity?
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you heard the phrase 'The worst person you know has a therapist encouraging and validating their behaviour'? In this episode, we tackle...
Clients are Lonelier Than Ever Before
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, em...
Watching Our Very First Recording: When Edge of the Couch was Reel Therapy Talk
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, we watch and react to our first recording together, before Edge of the Couch, an unpublished episode of a podcast that would ...
DEI is Not Enough: A Conversation with Bhupie Dulay and Abby Chow
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, Bhupie Dulay and Abby Chow come on the podcast to talk about how we can rather than rely on the reductionist approach to work...
Getting Dumped: When the client decides to terminate
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about the roller coaster of emotions that come with getting "dumped" by clients. We discuss the different ways clie...
Working with Dreams
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do all therapists engage in dream work, or is it more of a niche practice? We discuss what might hold newer therapists back from exploring their clien...
Is This Client Being Passive Aggressive?
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes clients will come right out and tell you what they are feeling frustrated, annoyed, or concerned about. Sometimes clients may have a harder ...
Clients Recording Their Therapist: An emerging trend
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into a recent trend of clients secretly or openly recording their therapy sessions. We discuss how it might feel as a therapi...
How to Create Continuity from Session to Session
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into who is responsible for creating a sense of continuity in therapy-- the client or the therapist. We discuss the role of h...
Erotic Transference
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After receiving 4 (FOUR!!!!) emails asking about an erotic transference episode, we finally had a chance to discuss the topic. Erotic transference hap...
The Misuse of Therapy Speak
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we tackle the misuse of therapy speak and its impact. We delve into popular buzzwords, how these terms are being used (and misused), ...
The Meaning of Silence
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore what might be happening with clients when there is silence. Sometimes it's an awkward silence, sometimes they are con...
Rethinking Unconditional Positive Regard
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Unconditional positive regard, a concept introduced by Carl Rogers, emphasizes accepting and supporting clients without judgment regardless of what th...
When Clients Dismiss Their Trauma
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when a client describes a traumatic experience, but then proceeds to shrug it off? In this episode, we explore what might be going on w...
Working with Clients who are "Too Emotional"
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Now, we don’t believe that clients can be “too emotional” but many clients come to therapy with narratives around emotion that may make them fee...
Are Therapists Becoming Enmeshed?
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talk about therapist enmeshment - what it is, how it happens, and what therapists can do to ensure they have appropriate boundaries with...
Why Therapists Aren't Talking about Genocide
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're in between seasons right now, but we feel it is long overdue to talk about Palestine and what therapists are wrestling with when it comes t...
Celebrating 100 Episodes: A Love Letter to Ourselves and to You, Our Listeners
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, we look back at the history of our podcast, our favourite episodes, and the vulnerable things about doing the podcast. We rea...
Managing Our Own Shit When It's Activated in Session
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our penultimate episode this season explores what can happen when the content of the session tugs at all of our own shit! Maybe we’re experiencing s...
When You Feel Like You Need to Prove Yourself
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into a common struggle suggested by one of our awesome listeners: the nagging feeling of not "doing enough" in ther...
When a Client Rejects Us
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a highly requested topic that comes with so much charge and tenderness. This week, we’re talking about being rejected by a client. We explor...
Starting and Ending Sessions
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are taking it back to the basics-- how to open and close sessions! We share our favourite opening questions/remarks, talk about why it ca...
Responding to "I Don't Know"
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re sharing how we respond when clients answer with “I don’t know”s. We talk about why “I don’t know” can feel so discombob...
Cancellations, Late Cancellations, and No-Shows
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
No-show and cancellation conversations are some of the most charged and controversial among therapists. There are constant debates about whether to ch...
Helping Clients Take Relational Risks
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many clients come to therapy with a history of charged relationship dynamics. Maybe they’ve been people-pleasing, maybe they shut others out, maybe ...
Disillusionment, Exhaustion, and the Economy: Why so many therapists are leaving the field
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re on any therapy forums, part of a therapist group, or even currently becoming a therapist, you’ve undoubtedly seen people talking about t...
The Differences and Similarities Between In-Person and Virtual Sessions
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the landscape of therapy. Where before 2020 online therapy was met with a great deal of skepticism and judgm...
When Clients Talk about "Small Things"
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Major major MAJOR caveat: what clients bring to sessions is important regardless of the ‘size’ of it. We used the terminology “small things” a...
Therapist Boundaries
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join us in a candid conversation about policies and power in therapy. We delve into the topic of therapist boundaries, drawing parallels with dynamics...
Naming the Elephant in the Room
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s imagine that in the course of a session, a client casually mentions something that feels big but the conversation moves beyond it quickly. As ...
Working with Shame
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shame is often talked about in pop psych, but what does it mean? In this episode all about this tender emotion, we describe how the different theoreti...
The Therapist as Fellow Traveller
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our therapeutic work, we think of ourselves as ‘fellow travellers’ who journey alongside our clients in the evolving, changing, learning etc. B...
What We Look for in Practicum Students
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back and excited for Season 6!! We’re opening the season with a juicy question that we get a lot - what are practicum supervisors looking fo...
Hardest Moments, Most Joyful Moments
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From celebrating clients' milestones and triumphs to helping them navigate the darkest seasons of life, in our final episode of Season 5, we&apos...
The Dreaded Summer Slump
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling o...
The Basic Skills of Therapy, According to Us
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve often joked that if we were to start a counselling school, the basic skills training would look very different than the program we completed t...
Q&A: Big Questions Answered
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We met on zoom with listeners for a LIVE Q&A episode where members of our community asked questions in real time. We discuss how to help clients s...
Sitting with Grieving Clients
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Grief and loss are inevitable parts of therapeutic work. Clients' pain (or anger or confusion) is sometimes so big and it can feel delicate for n...
The Unsettling Truth of Bad Therapists
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There is a welcome discourse about the humanity of therapists. But with this new perspective, we risk losing sight of the reality that some therapists...
Clients Who Exclusively Talk About Other People
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The therapeutic hour is such a unique space in which full attention is dedicated to the client. As clinicians, we are all set to really centre the cli...
Do Clients Owe Us The Truth?
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The big question this week is about whether clients owe us the truth. We believe that as therapists, we are always working from the foundational assum...
Being Selective about Clients: Are we allowed to work solely with ideal clients?
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At the midway point of our season, we’re talking all about what an ideal client really is. We’re also navigating the controversial topic about whe...
The Difference Between Theoretical Orientation and Personal Approach
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As new therapists, we are often exploring what we like, how we want to speak, what our approach really is. And as such, we may adopt an approach that ...
Finding Levity in Therapy
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lots of the conversations about being a therapist are heavy and that’s simply the nature of the work. We know that and we love being in the heavines...
Metaphor and Analogy as Therapeutic Tools
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the various ways metaphor and analogy come up in therapy. We invite you to use these as tools for deepening the therapeuti...
Parents, Parenting, and Parental Estrangement
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Content note: Mentions of childhood sexual abuseNo matter what your modality, the client goals, or the presenting issue, all clients will mention pare...
How Much Relational Processing is Too Much?
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this listener-requested episode, we define what relationship processing is, why it’s valuable in therapy, and how to have conversations with clie...
When Clients Say They Aren't Getting Anything Out of Therapy
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode is all about navigating the moment when a client can’t (or won’t?) see the impact and/or benefits of therapy. We share all o...
Showing Up When You Don’t Feel Your Best
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 5 of Edge of the Couch. For this season, every episode will focus on a topic requested by listeners. In this episode, we discuss som...
Responding to Feedback about the Podcast
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
[Content note: Mention of abortion] In the closing episode of Season 4, we break our typical format to talk about the feedback we've received abo...
When You Have a Mediocre Session
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes you end the video chat or close the therapy room door at the end of session and there's a feeling of confusion, missed opportunity, or ...
Can Clients Become Too Dependent on Therapy?
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling o...
When Your Clients Take Your Words and Run with Them
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling o...
The Art of Asking Questions
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we unpack some of the messages we received in graduate school around the use of questions in session. We share some of our favourite ...
Are Boys and Men a Special Population? - Interview with Jake Ernst
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talk with Jake Ernst, also known as @mswjake on Instagram. He's a social worker, a Clinical Director, and co-host of the This is No...
Honouring All of Your Identities as a Therapist
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Grad school sometimes tries to separate the various parts of our identity into “therapist” and “everything else” but we don’t think therapis...
Understanding Your Scope of Practice
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling o...
What You Deserve From Supervision: An Interview with Jennifer Hollinshead
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We are joined by Jennifer Hollinshead, the clinical director at @peakresilience, a therapist/supervisor and all around cool person who is going to be ...
There are Consequences to Therapy
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Therapy undoubtedly changes our clients! But how exactly are clients changed? This week, we’re exploring what we have noticed are the consequences o...
What Does Authenticity Mean as a Therapist?
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about authenticity on our podcast all the time but we haven’t yet slowed down to define what we mean by ‘authenticity’ and what showing ...
Burnout, Vicarious Trauma, and the Myth of Self-Care
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode was highly requested from listeners. We are exploring the causes of burnout for therapists and what we can do about it! Listen m...
Using Your Face in Therapy: Sometimes a slow nod or an eye roll says it all
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes we concentrate so much on knowing what to say to clients that we forget that what we don’t say is just as therapeutic. This week’s episo...
Worry about Clients (How Much is Too Much?)
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As therapists, it’s normal to think of clients between sessions and hope that they’re doing alright. But what happens when we worry so much that w...
Setting Intentions for Second Sessions
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As therapists, we can anticipate how first sessions are going to go. The informed consent process and intake questionnaires give us a bit of a script....
How to Know What to Say
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have moments in session where your mind goes completely blank and you don't know what to say? In the early years of being a therapist, the...
Season 3 Thoughts and the Current Landscape for Therapists
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, we went on IG Live to wrap up Season 3 and discuss our thoughts about what therapists are currently facing.If you would like to...
How to Build Trust
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For the Season 3 finale, we dive deep into a question we received from a listener: "How do you build trust with a client that has difficulty trus...
Q+A Best Trainings, Saying the Wrong Thing, and Managing Guilt for Leaving Agency Work
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks for sending in your questions for this special Q+A episode. Some questions were so juicy, we are saving them for full episode conversations.Tod...