Therapist to Millions

Alex Ioannou is a psychotherapist, a ritualist and guide supporting people to access a deeper sense of connection with themselves and the world around them. His work focuses on encouraging conversations between body awareness and imaginative/intuitive sensing, helping people develop their capacity for personal and cultural healing. He offers group workshops internationally on embodied and creative psychotherapy and embodied voice and song both to the general public and in organisations.

He is a registered dramatherapist: working with dying people and their families… refugees, people with disabilities and mental health difficulties, people in extreme states and spiritual emergencies and neurotypical people from all walks of life seeking a greater sense of wholeness.

Healing developmental trauma by Lawrence Heller

Pippa Simou has over 20 years of teaching experience but left teaching in 2016 as she needed more flexibility to support her own children, who both have ADHD. 

She joined the team at a local charity that supports parents and professionals with children who have ADHD / ASD where she came to understand that she also has ADHD, confirming a lack of support for ADHD adults, and in particular a lack of targeted services for women with the condition.

So she started ‘The ADD-vantage’ in 2020, offering support specifically to women and girls, learning to see ADHD as a strength.

She provides one-to-one personal coaching, workplace support, educational consultancy, free workshops and regular online chat groups. 

She lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and Oscar the Cockapoo and loves baking and rambles in the countryside, so Pippa welcome to the show….

BOOKS:

Alicia Runyan is the clinical director of Desert Peace Therapy in Las Vegas. Alicia is certified in Parent-Child Interaction & Cognitive Behavioral, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, & Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She provides quality care to promote the highest quality of life, helping clients seek relief and happiness and live mindfully. Alicia is a wife, mother to two children, and is expecting a 3rd child. She loves spending time with her family, hiking, camping, and relaxing by the pool in her free time.

Emily Parks is the Founder and CEO of POP, a growing community of patients with rare and/or chronic illnesses who also identify as living with Medical PTSD.  She is also a Medical PTSD Advocate | Patient Advocate | Public Speaker.

Emily graduated from Boston University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and is currently working at UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences under the Department of Psychiatry. 

Emily lived with Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction until receiving an isolated small bowel transplant from MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute in 2020, and her lived experience as a patient living with chronic illness has given her insight into opportunities to collaborate with hospitals and healthcare professionals across multiple healthcare systems. 

Emily enjoys ballroom dancing, cooking, and boba tea in her free time. 

Rachel Wright is a Relationship, Sex and Mental Health Therapist: She is recognized as one of the freshest voices on modern relationships and sex. With a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology, Rachel has worked with thousands of humans worldwide, helping them scream less and screw more, and this is how her practice: The National Therapeutic Appliance, was born.

Nishoni Harvey is based in sunny Columbia (the one in Tennessee, not South America), and she helps parents of autistic children take their home from power struggles to peace and their parenting style from turmoil to tender through positive parenting strategies, ABA and TBRI techniques, and a thorough dive into the home, the parent, and the WHOLE child, creating a positive and inclusive environment for their child to thrive and reach their full potential. 

Margarita Donies is a trauma therapist with a mission to help people learn how to live a fulfilling life, post-trauma. She believes in a restorative approach with a combination of mind and body healing. She describes herself as a helper, a rescuer, and a restorer, having endured some of her own traumas, which is how her practice: The National Therapeutic Alliance was born.

Karen R. Koenig is a licensed psychotherapist, motivational speaker and international award-winning 8-book author, who has specialized in the field of compulsive, emotional and restrictive eating for more than 30 years. 

Based in Sarasota, Florida, she is a co-founder of the Greater Boston Collaborative for Body Image and Eating Disorders.

As a writer, her essays and articles have appeared in a multitude of publications including The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald and she has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal and Women’s Health amongst others and has had her books translated into 10 foreign languages.

She lives and practices in Sarasota, Florida where she provides in-person and teletherapy.

Albert Nguyen is a Licensed Psychotherapist and Clinical Social Worker delivering personalised therapy for children, teens and adults… he is also a Black Belt and Martial Arts Instructor with 20+ years Exp. He believes that everyone’s battles are a rite of passage towards accessing your greatest hidden power… and it all begins with you taking those 20 seconds of insane courage to step towards a different path.

Loredana Giuran is a skilled Psychologist and Consciousness Coach based in Romania committed to helping individuals overcome emotional pain and achieve their personal growth goals. With almost ten years of experience exploring inner discovery through coaching, therapy, silent retreats, psychedelics, neurofeedback training, and shamanic rituals, Loredana has developed a keen understanding of the tools needed to guide people through difficult moments, including depression, anxiety, problematic relationships, separation, sexual and emotional abuse, fear, shame, guilt, and loneliness.

Loredana graduated with a degree in Psychology from the University of West London in the UK and is an accredited Consciousness Coach from Maastricht, NL. Her mission is to help people recognize and reveal their inner power and intuition to access their life gifts.

Paula McMillan-Perez is a LCSW is a first-generation Afro-Caribbean Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Psychotherapist, Social Work Systems & Workflow Strategist, and is the Host of the “Why Don’t We Talk About This?” Podcast. She has been in the field for over 10 years with a diverse area of expertise. Paula has served all age groups with practice specializations in Anxiety, ADHD, forensic social work, school social work, and trauma-informed practices as well as admin specialization in quality improvement and systems/workflow streamlining for mental health clinicians.

Additionally, Paula was one of several dynamic co-authors of the bestseller Latinx in Social Work: Stories that Heal, Inspire and Connect Communities, Vol I. She takes great pride in supporting the education and development of our next generation of social workers into the greatest helping profession.

Instagram:

Blanca Sanchez-Navarro is a Psychotherapist and Mental Health Speaker who has been a therapist & presenter/trainer for 30 years and is passionate about helping people and imparting a message of personal power to change and grow every day and at any point in their life.

Rebecca Guidera is a Boulder-based somatic therapist & coach. She is trained in perinatal mental health, EMDR, and Somatic Sex Therapy Training for Counselors, and she supports her clients with compassion, directness, and playfulness and their connection with body image, sexual and gender identities, intimacy, and relational dynamics, through Liminality which means the transition from one place to the next…

Poly Secure by Jessica Fern

Tony Burne lives and works in Taranaki, New Zealand and has been involved in social services for over 20 years running a private practice in New Plymouth. Tony works with adults, trauma, abuse, family harm, couples work and brief intervention.  He is registered as a drug and alcohol clinician, has a strong background in mental health and is also qualified in clinical hypnotherapy, which he mainly uses with trauma.

Book: Breaking the habit of being yourself by Dr Joe Dispenza

You can contact Tony here:

In the second part of this incredible interview, we discuss horses and autism, we go deeper into clean language and metaphors, and their usage in business and leadership, emergence, the troubles in Myanmar, 5th division English rugby and flow state, Manchester United & Scottish rugby, culture and teams, suppressed emotions, chicken and egg problems and solutions and transurfing.

Jessica Clark is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker working in the California Correctional System. She is an outdoor adventurer and dog mom to a 12-year-old Labrador retriever, helping clients reconnect with their values and focus their energy on them. She helps them connect their thoughts, feelings, and emotions and how those impact and influence their own behaviours.

Fave therapy book: Emotions Revealed: Understanding Faces and Feelings - Paul Ekman

Barbara Gustavson is the founder of Discover Next Step and partners with Dr Daniel Amen as Program Director of the Brain Health Licensed Trainer Course at Amen University, helping individuals and organizations integrate brain-based strategies into their work and life. Having spent 11 years in Consulting, Coaching & Leadership and 25 years in Business Management, Barbara’s mission is to share new ways to think, see, respond, and engage so that leaders can set their Inner Bold in motion.

She is the author of Permission to be BOLD: A Guide to Loving Yourself, Living Fully, and Leaving Your Mark in the World - and hosts the Inner Bold Podcast and online events such as her latest Inner Rebellion series.

Jackie Lynott is a clinical social worker practising therapy in Maryland. She is a trauma-focused therapist and uses EMDR, CBT, and motivational interviewing techniques to help clients build strengths and address the ways their history impacts their current life. She has worked with clients from all walks of life, but tends to focus on teens and adults, and works regularly with members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Her favourite therapy book is The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog by Dr. Bruce Perry and Maia Szalavitz

Her favourite non-therapy book is The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

Macey Christian is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who owns Emerald Therapy in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is a certified perinatal mental health clinician through Postpartum Support International, and a Master Accelerated Resolution Therapy practitioner through the International Society of A-R-T. She enjoys working with birthing parents in the perinatal period and young people transitioning to adulthood. Prior to becoming a therapist, Macey worked as a Child Protection Social Worker for seven years. Combining this knowledge with her work as a therapist, she is currently developing training for therapists with the hopes of bridging the gap between Child Protection Social Workers and therapists to improve family outcomes.

She is also the co-founder of Speak Up!, a perinatal mental health advocacy organization quickly gaining traction on Youtube. In her spare time, you can find her walking her dogs, crafting, or trying to survive the Minnesota winters.

Macey offers individual therapy, trauma intensives, and group therapy geared toward trauma and perinatal concerns.

Mariana Bodiu was born in Moldova, raised and educated in the US and Switzerland and used to work in venture capital. And this experience of working alongside bright entrepreneurs ignited her interest in human psychology, translating into a career change. 

So she became a Jungian Psychotherapist. She’s also trained with The International Society of Applied Psychoanalysis and has started training with the Guild of Analytical Psychologists in the UK. In 2017 she established SimplyWell Private Practice to start the conversation around psychotherapy and encouraged open, honest dialogue on burnout, anxiety, and the sometimes overwhelming journey of becoming a parent. 

In addition to being a psychotherapist, Mariana is passionate about horse riding and spends most of her time in the countryside, where she can recharge and connect with nature.

The joke, as promised: How many Brexiteers does it take to change a light bulb? One to promise a brighter future and the rest to screw it up.

Her fave book: The woman who runs with wolves - by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Daniel Junkins was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in April 2017 with just weeks to live. While receiving this diagnosis and one of the most potent chemotherapy protocols in the cancer world, Dan discovered the powerful story of the peacock and its innate ability to ingest poison, created a powerful mantra, and mobilized support from all the communities of people in his life.

Jana was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in March of 2000. She was told she would be disabled in ten years. She decided to take her life by the bullhorns, become a vegan triathlete and a meditation guru, and visualize her way into true health. Today she’s in benign status, drug-free, and a healthy endurance athlete.

Working in a robust partnership, they share their stories of discovery, hope, and inspiration for vibrant health beyond any prognosis.

Gwendolyne is a certified Mentalization Based Therapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in treating personality disorders with an emphasis on personality organization and systems of attachment.

She is currently the clinical coordinator at Cornerstones of Maine while completing her residency in the Doctor of Social Work program at the University of Pennsylvania - studying the impact of race in engagement in psychodynamic therapy. Gwen has also dabbled as a stand-up comic.

Peter Fonagy & Anthony Bateman

Federico Sarink is a family and couples therapist based in both the Netherlands and also teaches in Spain. He uses EMDR and ‘provocative therapy’ to help with trauma - challenging his clients to get out of their comfort zone and go straight to the heart of the matter. His book entitled ‘Provocative Therapy’ is available on Amazon.

Gretchen Cohoon is a Psychotherapist in private practice in New York City. After receiving her MSW from New York University, she worked for five years providing psychotherapy to crime victims at the New York County District Attorney's Office, Special Victims Unit. In addition to her private practice, she currently teaches undergraduate courses in the field of social work at NYU. 

DANIEL MAGNUSSON is based in Sweden and is a Professional Certified Transformational Coach, Sales Trainer, Speaker, and Host of The "Human Change Podcast”.

Fave therapy book: The inside out revolution by Michael Neill

Fave non-therapy book: Never split the difference by Chris Vos

Cassie Eaton Is a counselor in Ohio offering Trauma Informed · Post Traumatic Stress · Therapy · EMDR and counseling

Cassie published a prose/poetry book in her early twenties, called Amitriptyline Queen under the pen name Jaden Christopher, detailing her personal struggles with the mental health system, and as a document of her own journey through trauma from the client's to the therapist's chair.

Cassie teaches her clients to live a happy healthy life while remaining in their window of affective tolerance - plus she adds a Taoist approach by teaching an understanding of Chi and how to balance internal and external energies.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassie-eaton-5aa7571a/

Dr. Michel Waldron is a certified sex therapist, licensed psychologist, alcohol and drug counselor. She also has certifications in couples counseling and sex offender therapy and works as an advocate for sexual health and empowerment, utilizing mindfulness, CBT, and DBT approaches that are trauma-informed as she works with clients’ strengths.

Outside of work: Michele enjoys spending time with her husband and three sons as well as hiking, canoeing, paddle-boarding, running, and reading fiction.

Diane Dierks is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice and the Executive Director of the CENTER FOR NAVIGATING FAMILY CHANGE. She is also the co-host of the Co-parent dilemmas podcast providing practical solutions to those with impossible co-parents!

Amy has over 15 years of experience working with children, couples, families, & the LGBTQ community. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Illinois and Wisconsin and believes in understanding the whole person and complex relationship dynamics and abides by a mind/body/spirit approach to care.

Breanna Palmer is a certified health and wellness coach living in Florida, she is also a virtual game show MC and DJ. Breanna coaches women in breaking the family cycle of unhealthy eating by helping them upgrade their habits.

Having previously worked as a solicitor, Sally started her practice in 2015 as a Cognitive Hypnotherapist and Coach, seeing clients in person in Manchester and online. Sally now loves liberating professionals, business owners, and creatives who feel stuck or unhappy at work. She helps her clients let go of anxiety and imposter syndrome to create a working life they love confidently. Sally also delivers well-being & mindset workshops to the NHS and SMEs to equip their people with more confidence and work satisfaction.

Clint Matheny, is a Doctor of Thinkology. Clint is a seventy-seven-year-old semi-retired psychotherapist specializing in “Clean Language” Trauma - PTSD Psychotherapist & Psychological therapy.

Diane Wills is a therapist, forensic specialist, social worker, and an author of 'Practical Guide to working with sex offenders', providing personal therapy, consultancy, training, risk assessments, quality assurance, and supervision and she has experience in the probation service & prisons working with those who sexually harm others. 

In this very first episode of the Therapist to Millions podcast, Damian Mark Smyth and Dr. Susan Spicer take us through the format of future podcasts, delving into what makes a therapist tick and some of their interesting case studies. Along with some fun questions and our weekly book club!

Here are this week's show notes: