If you’ve been listening, you might have picked up on the fact that we have issues with the state of the professional culture among therapists.

Today, we’re going to get into it explicitly.

Because one of our overarching goals at The Kiln is to contribute to creating a healthier professional culture for everyone in our field, from students to supervisors. Pushing back against the prevailing culture isn’t easy, and none of us are doing this work perfectly.

But if we can name what’s wrong, we can use it to envision a culture that is healthier, more prosocial, and more productive for all of us.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How our problems with professional disagreement and conflict reinforce silos and stifle curiosity
• How over-policing each other over minor issues can actually contribute to bad therapy–from unsatisfied clients to serious boundary violations
• How professional culture and societal expectations make therapists so willing to throw each other under the bus
• Why investing in real community is the antidote for our current professional culture

Learn more about The Kiln:

• Website

Learn more about Dr. Kae Hixson:

• Website

Learn more about Riva Stoudt:

• Into the Woods Counseling
• Instagram

Resources:

• Season 1 Ep 12: Subsequent Therapist Syndrome with Dr. Ofer Zur

A lot of the therapists we’ve trained have asked for resources for their clients, to help them get a better grasp of our modality,  Mentalization-Based Narrative Exposure Therapy for Complex Interpersonal Trauma (MBNET).

So today, we’re going to do our best to translate that into more accessible language so that clients can get a behind-the-scenes view of the rationale behind the modality and what it looks like in practice.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• What makes exposure-based trauma processing different from other methods
• How exposure symptoms related to traumatic memories and addresses trauma-related beliefs
• What complex interpersonal trauma is and why we developed a modality specifically for treating it
• How humans constantly mind map each other, and how that impacts interpersonal trauma
• How MBNET addresses interpersonal trauma that is subtle, but just as damaging
• How MBNET provides a structured, but still flexible process that will be tailored to each individual
• What to expect as you work through the MBNET process with your therapist

Learn more about The Kiln:

• Website

Learn more about Dr. Kae Hixson:

• Website

Learn more about Riva Stoudt:

• Into the Woods Counseling
• Instagram

Resources:

• The impact of fear activation and anger on the efficacy of exposure treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder, Edna B. Foa, David S. Riggs, Elise D. Massie, Matthew Yarczower
• Brain Talk: How Mind Mapping Brain Science Can Change Your Life & Everyone In It, David Schnarch

Today, we’re continuing our discussion of our trauma processing modality, Mentalization-Baset Narrative Exposure Therapy for Complex Interpersonal Trauma (MBNET), with two of our colleagues who have trained with us in this method and are implementing it in their practices.

We’re going to talk about our aha moments with aspects of the modality, how it’s changed their practice, challenges for them and their clients in working with MBNET, and more. If you’re thinking about training with us at the Kiln and how learning this modality might enhance your work with your clients, this will give you a taste of what that’s like.

Phoenix McCulloch (she/her) is a relational trauma therapist in Portland, Oregon who works primarily with trans, neurodivergent, and chronically ill clients. Phoenix primarily uses Narrative Exposure Therapy, as well as Mindful and Somatic approaches. She also facilitates two weekly process/support groups. Phoenix is autistic, a parent, an obsessive gardener, and loves talking to resident backyard creatures.

Rhiannon Theurer (she/her) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the author of the forthcoming Neurodivergence Workbook for Teens. She works in private practice with neurodivergent adolescents and adults on trauma processing and building a life worth living.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why treating interpersonal trauma needs to go deeper than surface-level details and get to the heart of the interaction
• How mentalization helps both client and therapist get away from minimizing or ascribing positive intent to negative or traumatic interactions
• How the structure of MBNET lends confidence and clarity for clients in the process of trauma therapy
• How clients explicitly sharing their narratives allows for deeper witnessing and validation
• How working with MBNET challenges clinicians to be bolder and more persistent in breaking down clients’ false narratives and avoidance strategies
• How reducing avoidance helps client reclaim their past, hold more complexity, and create lasting change in their lives and relationships

Learn more about The Kiln:

• Website

Learn more about Phoenix McCulloch, LCSW

• Mount Tabor Therapy

Learn more about Rhiannon Theurer, LMFT

• Website
• The Neurodivergence Workbook for Teens

Learn more about Dr. Kae Hixson:

• Website

Learn more about Riva Stoudt:

• Into the Woods Counseling
• Instagram