In this episode of Beyond the Chair: The Therapist Companion, we take a deep dive into Brilliant Minds through the lens of clinical ethics. Using the character of Dr. Carol Pierce as this month’s case, we unpack the many ways media misrepresents mental health professionals, particularly around roles, boundaries, and ethical decision-making. The episode explores a high-stakes ethical dilemma in which Dr. Pierce’s personal and professional lives collide, raising critical questions about dual relationships, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, supervision, and clinician responsibility. We discuss what the show gets wrong, what feels realistic, and most importantly, what should happen in real life when therapists find themselves in ethically complex, emotionally charged situations. This case serves as a reminder that consultation, transparency, and boundaries aren’t signs of weakness, but essential protections for both clinicians and clients.

• (00:00:01) - Deep Dive: Dr. Carol Pierce of Brilliant Minds
• (00:02:20) - Law and Order: The Mental Health Profession
• (00:11:14) - Dr. Pierce's Affair With Her Client
• (00:13:04) - Dr. Pierce on "This Is My Life"
• (00:16:41) - Beyond the Chair: Dr. Pierce's Case

Have you ever felt alone in the work of being a therapist? Like no one quite understands the burnout, the quiet wins, the self-doubt, or the messy middle of this work?

In the very first episode of Beyond the Chair: The Therapist’s Companion, host Sonya Andersen-Haile, MS, LPC, NCC shares why this podcast exists and who it’s for. Drawing from her own early experiences in community mental health and supervision, Sonya reflects on how supervision can miss the mark and how much growth, clarity, and connection it could offer when done well.

This episode sets the foundation for the podcast: honest conversations about counseling as a craft, the gaps many clinicians experience in supervision, and the importance of reflection, consultation, and community in a profession that can feel increasingly isolating.

Sonya also explains how the podcast will work, including the difference between the free episodes and the optional subscription experience, and invites listeners into the first upcoming deep-dive case.

Whether you’re a student, intern, licensed clinician, or supervisor, this space is for you—to think, question, learn, and feel a little less alone in the work.

• (00:00:00) - Therapist Companion: Feel Lonely in the Work?
• (00:10:01) - What Clinical Supervision Is
• (00:14:57) - The Therapist Companion
• (00:16:24) - Intro to the Deep Dive
• (00:17:37) - A Case From Brilliant Minds