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Alex Hoffman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Live Oak Chicago who works from a trauma informed relational and harm reduction lens. She specializes in supporting clients with treatment related trauma centering client agency and authentic human connection in her work. Alex’s approach is informed by over a decade in the mental health field, early work in residential treatment and lived experience within the troubled teen industry. This perspective allows her to hold nuance honoring both the ways treatment can help and the ways it can cause harm.

In this episode of Lessons from the Couch Alex joins Corina and Mariana to explore treatment trauma, harm reduction, and holding dialectics in clinical work. She reflects on crisis care accountability and the ethical complexity of providing support within imperfect systems.The conversation emphasizes the power of therapeutic humanity modeling humility welcoming feedback and repairing harm. This episode offers meaningful insight for therapists seeking to build trust, safety and genuine connection in the therapy room.

For more about Alex, visit https://liveoakchicago.com/our-team/alex-hoffman/.

Corina and Mariana would love to hear your feedback and ideas for our new season! Follow this link to leave anonymous thoughts and ideas for us to consider.

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Co-Hosted by Corina Teofilo Mattson and Mariana Reyes Daza. Show art by Jae Avilez and Corina. Music by Brandon Acosta.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Carl Hampton is a seasoned psychotherapist, community leader, and supervisor at the Family Institute at Northwestern University. With over four decades of experience spanning criminal justice, rehabilitation, mental health, and private practice, Carl brings a deep well of wisdom, humility, and presence to his work. He is known for his lifelong commitment to mindfulness, relational attunement, and fostering authentic human connection, both in therapy rooms and supervision spaces.

In this episode, Carl shares stories from his early days working in prisons and victim advocacy to his current work as a therapist and supervisor. He talks about the foundational role of mindfulness in his life and clinical practice—starting with a strawberry-scented mantra at age 14—and how humility, curiosity, and trust are essential tools in therapeutic relationships. Together, we explore how mindfulness isn’t just a technique, but a way of being present with others, with ourselves, and with the unpredictable flow of life and learning.

For more about Carl, visit About Carl — Phoenix Clinic.

Follow Lessons from the Couch on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you get your podcasts to listen to new episodes.

Co-Hosted by Corina Teofilo Mattson and Mariana Reyes Daza. Show art by Jae Avilez and Corina. Music by Brandon Acosta.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Nancy Tartt, LMFT, is a therapist, leader, and founder of Inspirational Synergy, a practice rooted in helping individuals, couples, and families live authentically. With nearly a decade at Live Oak Chicago and a long-standing career in higher education at UIC, Nancy brings a unique blend of organizational leadership and therapeutic depth to her work. Her practice is grounded in feminist, relational, narrative, and emotionally focused therapy, and she is especially passionate about attachment theory and the role it plays in our healing and connection. Through her initiative Sojourner Speak, she also offers space for BIPOC individuals and groups to name and respond to microaggressions with confidence, authenticity, and voice.

In this episode, we explore Nancy’s journey from higher education leadership into full-time therapy and community-building work. She shares how she’s always been drawn to helping people find their voice—whether in couples therapy, the workplace, or social justice settings. We talk about attachment theory, what makes couples work meaningful to her, and how she holds space without rushing to fix or offer answers. Nancy reflects on spiritual knowing, learning to trust herself, and how personal history—including witnessing her mother’s organizing—has shaped her commitment to justice and purpose. We also talk about the launch of Inspirational Synergy and what it means to live aligned with your gifts.

For more about Nancy, visit ABOUT | Inspirational Synergy or Nancy Tartt • Live Oak Chicago.

Follow Lessons from the Couch on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you get your podcasts to listen to new episodes.

Co-Hosted by Corina Teofilo Mattson and Mariana Reyes Daza. Show art by Jae Avilez and Corina. Music by Brandon Acosta.