Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule
Episodes
E32: The Power of Discernment, Part 3.2 – Seasonal capacity misalignment and the importance of values and value domains for sustaining ourselves in the long term
04 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever had a point in your career where it felt as though something shifted for you, and not in a good sense? Maybe it was a general sense of...
E31: The Power of Discernment, Part 3.1 - Values misalignment, or, why, as competent therapists, we can enjoy our work and yet still feel drained
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been good at something (like your work), and still felt drained by it? It might sound strange, but it is not unusual to be competent a...
E30: The Power of Discernment, Part 2 - Boundary misalignment and the art of balancing yes with no
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re anything like us you probably remember times in graduate school where you told yourself something like “This won’t last forever, once ...
E29: The Power of Discernment - Belief misalignment and the stories we tell ourselves about our work and self-care
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Pop quiz: How many of these beliefs resonate for you?If I’m not exhausted, I must not be working hard enough.My schedule reflects my value.My clie...
E28: The Power of Discernment & the Importance of Knowing Where to Target Your Self-Care Efforts
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re like most therapists, there have undoubtedly been times in your career when you’ve found yourself struggling with work and trying to fig...
E27: Why and how to do a seasonal self-care check-in
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “Why does self-care feel harder right now, even though I’m doing all the right things?”, you’re not ...
E26: What the movie Groundhog Day can teach us about therapist self-care
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever had one of those weeks where you think, “Wait, didn’t I already do this yesterday? And all the days before?” Same alarm. Sam...
E25: Upgrade your self-care belief system wrap-up: The ongoing practice of believing differently
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to talk about self-care with our clients, and how incredibly hard it can be to actually practice it in our own li...
E24: Belief system upgrade #8: Self-care needs community
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the strongest form of self-care isn’t what you do by yourself… but who you allow in? As therapists, we spend our days holding space for ot...
E23: Belief system upgrade #7: Self-care needs our intentional attention
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How often do you intentionally sit down to reflect on your self-care? If you are like most of us, probably not very often! Even if you are a regul...
E22: Belief system upgrade #6: Self-care needs to be personalized and revisited often
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How many of you remember the ‘set it and forget it’ rotisserie oven infomercials from the 1990’s? Even if that doesn’t ring a bell, the fact...
E21: Belief system upgrade #5: Self-care challenges are shaped by gender and professional socialization – NOT personal failings!
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you think about why self-care is hard, what comes to mind? Maybe not enough time, or feeling guilty, or just forgetting until you’re completely...
E20: Belief system upgrade #4: Self-care doesn't have to cost a lot of time, energy, or money
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How many times have you said — or thought — ‘I’d love to take better care of myself, but I just don’t have the time’? Or, ‘I’m way too...
E19: Belief system upgrade #3: Self-care can be uncomfortable (but worth it!)
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here’s something that might surprise you: some of the best self-care doesn’t feel good in the moment. Think about it — how many times have y...
E18: Belief system upgrade #2: Self-care is NOT selfish & is NOT just about treating ourselves
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time you said ‘no’ to someone? And we don’t mean a playful no, or a no with an apology attached, but a real, solid, unapologet...
E17: Upgrade your self-care belief system! Upgrade #1: Self-care is PART OF our work
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re a therapist who feels like self-care always comes last, you’re not alone. Most of us were trained—implicitly or explicitly—to treat ...
E16: Check-in on your self-care along with us! The importance of seasonal self-care check-ins
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if your to-do list isn’t the problem — but rather a quiet signal that one of your self-care pillars is out of balance? As therapists, we’re...
E15: Experimenting With Experiments: Season 1 Self-Care Experiments Round Up
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the real secret to sustainable self-care isn’t about working harder—or even trying to be “better”—but simply about noticing, connect...
E14: Why can’t I actually put myself in my schedule?! 3 ways to more intentionally protect your self-care efforts
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever looked at your schedule and wondered why everyone else’s needs made the cut—but yours didn’t? In this podcast episode, we’re e...
E13: This is your brain on breaks: 3 benefits of incorporating breaks into our days
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does your typical day look like? Does it include regularly occurring breaks or do you often find yourself constantly on the go? If you’re l...
E12: Therapists have rights too! 3 personal rights to embrace for better self-care
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have your sessions with clients ever incorporated the topic of assertiveness and its related benefits? If so, then you’re likely familiar with the...
E11: Self-care sabotage: 3 types of beliefs that may be hurting your self-care from the inside out
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How often do you take time to reflect on your beliefs and the ways they might be influencing your self-care? If you’re like most female mental hea...
E10: Connection in a post-pandemic world: 3 ways connecting with others can change the self-care game
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a mental health professional, you undoubtedly know the significant role our relationships can have on our overall well-being. In fact, it’s pro...
E9: Documentation is not the enemy! How to use the 4 C’s to make documentation your self-care ally
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
E8: How to use our values to work for our self-care, instead of against it
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How often do you think of values when you think about self-care? If you’re like many of us, probably not very often or at all. Yet the reality i...
E7: Let's embrace our differences instead of apologizing for them: 3 ways individual differences factor into personalized self-care
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever find yourself wondering why self-care seems to come so easily for some of your colleagues or why you and your colleagues struggle in diffe...
E6: It’s not you, it’s your wiring: 4 ways our evolutionary wiring makes self-care challenging (but not impossible!)
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re about to explore something that may surprise you—your brain’s survival instincts are still influencing how you approach self-care, and the...
E5: You are a human being, not a human giver: 3 ways the self-care game is rigged for women and how you can fight back
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever feel like you’re always giving—whether it’s to your clients, your family, or even strangers on the street—and somehow your own needs get ...
E4: Feeling like an imposter and a perpetual student? You are not alone! And here are 4 things you can do about it
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you often find yourself working hard, yet questioning your abilities, feeling like you’re just pretending to be competent, waiting to be found ou...
E3: Our work should come with a warning label: How to navigate the #1 hazard of our work
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever felt the weight of your clients' struggles lingering long after your sessions end? Spent evenings and weekends fretting over whethe...
E2: Treat your time like diamonds, not like sand: How to break free from toxic time messages
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ever feel like there’s just never enough time in the day? You’re juggling client sessions, family responsibilities, and maybe even a little bit of...
E1: Traditional self-care is broken! How you can use the 4 C’s to *actually* take good care of yourself
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time you felt truly in control of your schedule? Or had a day when your to-do list didn’t just overflow with everyone else’s nee...
Introducing: Putting You In Your Schedule
03 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Self-care shouldn’t be another task on your to-do list! Hosted by Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen, clinical psychologists, founders of Inte...
Replay: Owning Your Therapist Sensitivities: A Conversation with April Snow
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As regular listeners know, we are (still!) in the process of working on a new format for our podcast which we hope to share in the very near future. S...
Replay: This is NOT an Episode About Benedict Cumberbatch: A Conversation with Tabitha Carvan About Reclaiming Our Passions
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As you may already know, we are in the process of working on a new format for our podcast which we hope to share in the very near future. So please ...
Replay: Fitting Finances Into Your Self-Care: A Conversation with Linzy Bonham
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we shared last month, we are busily working on a new format for our podcast which we’re planning on unveiling in the next few months. Until the...
Replay: Documentation IS Self-Care! A Conversation with Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are very excited to share that we are in the process of reformatting our podcast! We are aiming to launch the new format in the coming months, an...
Thriving in Our Parenting and Professional Roles: A Conversation with Lori Mihalich-Levin and Arianna Taboada
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many women at some point in their careers will experience the major milestone of becoming a mother. It's a life-changing experience, yet how ofte...
You Are Fabulous AND You Need a Resilience Plan: A Conversation with Dr. Marie-Helene Pelletier
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As clinicians we’re familiar with the concept and importance of resilience but how many of us actually think about resiliency for ourselves? In th...
Courage is a Requirement for Self-Care: A Conversation with Our Intentional Therapist Community
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special podcast episode, we, Dr. Melissa Tiessen and Dr. Karen Dyck, dedicate our discussion to what is perhaps our favourite 'C' fr...
Leading Ourselves Through the Body: A Conversation with Courtney Amo, Dr. Julie Beaulac, and Casey Bergland
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
“No” is a Complete Sentence: A Conversation with Kim Long about the Importance of Boundaries
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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-c...
The Impact of 'Scripts' and Oppressive Systems on Our Self-Care: A Conversation with Silvana Espinoza Lau
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As female mental health clinicians we receive multiple messages or “scripts” through our socialization as women and mental health clinicians about...
Behind the Scenes of Intentional Therapist & Thrivival 101: A Conversation with Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 hos...
Intentionally Incorporating Self-Care to Create Sustainable Success: A Conversation with Dr. Stephanie Grunewald
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we connect with Dr. Stephanie Grunewald, psychologist, coach, and entrepreneur, to learn more about her RESET model and how she helps ...
Embracing Spiritual Self-Care: A Conversation with Whitney Owens
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For those of you who are familiar with Intentional Therapist and the 4 C’s model of self-care you know our Connection pillar includes not only conne...
How Supervision & Consultation are Fundamental to Self-Care: A Conversation with Shannon Heers
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Supervision and consultation are important components of mental health clinicians’ training and professional development. These activities can als...
This is NOT an Episode About Benedict Cumberbatch: A Conversation with Tabitha Carvan About Reclaiming Our Passions
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Remember that feeling you had as a kid, when your interests were held with such intensity and passion that they couldn’t help but bring you joy? W...
Developing an Authentic, Energy Protecting Lifestyle: A Conversation with Enid De Jesus
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Female mental health clinicians face many barriers to engaging in truly meaningful self-care practices, perhaps the most powerful of which are societa...
The Benefits of Working in Alignment with Your Values and Priorities: A Conversation with Lisa Mustard
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When’s the last time you sat down to really reflect on your values? In this busy world it’s so easy to go through life without really giving thi...
Making Organizational Systems Part of Self-Care: A Conversation with Liz Gray
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When female clinicians think of self-care the term “organizational systems” probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind (probably not even...
Work-Family Enrichment: A Conversation with Dr. Yael Schonbrun
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re like us, there was probably a time in your career when you sought after that oh so elusive “work-life balance” and saw that as the tru...
Intentional Time Off: A (Second) Conversation with Arianna Smith
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we reconnect with Arianna Smith, licensed professional counselor (LPC) and copywriting coach for therapists, to learn more about her 2...
Side Business as Self-Care?! A Conversation with Dr. Tamara Soles
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When most of us think of self-care we probably don’t think about developing a side business. We know that wasn't our expectation when we star...
Integrating Wellness Into Your Practice: A Conversation with Dr. Kimberly Grocher
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
All of us undoubtedly know firsthand how challenging it can be to regularly incorporate wellness strategies into our workday. The idea of moving int...
Building a Full and Happy Clinical Practice: A Conversation with Allison Puryear
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Unfortunately as women and mental health clinicians, we receive many messages (from society, and also through our training and work experiences) that ...
Creating a Practice that Enhances Your Self-Care: A Conversation with Dr. Kelly Yanek & Dr. Michele Kinderman
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“I’m not sure I’m well suited for this profession.” Sound familiar? We’ve heard this from other female therapists more times than we can cou...
How Copywriting Fits into Self-Care: A Conversation with Arianna Smith
26 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Copywriting and self-care? In this episode Arianna Smith, licensed professional counselor (LPC) and copywriting coach for therapists explains exactl...
How Rest Actually Leads to Success: A Conversation with Maegan Megginson
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can rest and success actually co-exist in the lives of female mental health clinicians? Indeed they can! In this episode we speak with Maegan Megg...
Owning Your Therapist Sensitivities: A Conversation with April Snow
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An essential component of having a sustainable and enjoyable psychotherapy practice is ensuring it’s set up in a manner that truly honors our unique...
Documentation IS Self-Care: A Conversation with Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most therapists likely wouldn’t include “documentation” in their list of self-care activities but the reality is many of us struggle with docume...
Using Values to Guide Our Self-Care Journey: A Conversation with Dr. Dayna Lee-Bagley
05 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s face it: self-care is a journey. And like any journey, we’re bound to run into unexpected roadblocks and detours that are beyond our con...
Infusing Some Creativity Into Our Self-Care: A Conversation with Dr. Jo Eckler
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With all the heaviness and responsibility that often comes with our work - especially throughout the pandemic - it’s easy to lose touch with the mor...
Fitting Finances Into Your Self-Care: A Conversation with Linzy Bonham
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Finances and self-care? Yep, that’s right! Although not typically considered part of traditional self-care, money and finances figure prominentl...