Through the Eyes of a Therapist Podcast

Listener Questions

Cristal answers listener questions she curated from her IG, FB, and Gmail.  Listen to a therapist’s thoughts on sitting all day, listening to people’s problems, how to shop around for your own therapist, and more!
 
*This podcast is not therapy*
 
If you have any questions, reach out on @throughtheeyesofatherapistpod • Instagram photos and videos
 

Trauma Responses

How do you respond in highly stressful situations? Are you a fighter? How about a runner? A freezer? Is the person you’re dealing with such a threat that you need to keep them happy or stay in their good graces with the “fawning” response? In this episode I talk about the four main survival responses and how they show up in life-or-death situations as well as in daily life. 
 
Visit me on Instagram www.Instagram.com/throughtheeyesofatherapistpod
 
Book for therapy
Www.clarityelpaso.com 
 
More
https://linktr.ee/Cristalacosta
 
*This podcast is not counseling. Information from this podcast has been derived from my understanding of information based on counseling practice and research. 
 
Disclaimer: Cristal Acosta, LPC-S, NCC, CCTP, her associates and subsidiaries are not liable for direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use this podcast or the information presented here. Information from this page and/or podcast does not replace counseling or advice from your own team of medical or health professionals.

Counselor Mess-Ups

In this episode, Dr. Kate Walker, counselor educator, and myself discuss what it’s like to mess up! It’s ok because everyone makes mistakes and nobody is perfect! Especially therapists! We are absolutely not perfect and have our own baggage; BUT we are held to a high standard of care (laws and ethics) that requires us to bravely confront these mistakes with our clients and each other.  Dr. Kate and I talk about vulnerability, not having sex with clients, and much more!
 
www.katewalkertraining.com

Babies and Boundaries

Did you know there are several types of boundaries? Sexual, physical, emotional, financial, and more! In this episode psychiatrist Dr. Gaiathry Jeyarajan, author of children’s book “Ella’s Choice” talks about how to teach babies and kids about consent and boundaries. Teaching our littles about how to say “no” and how to give “permission” starts at a very young age and with everyday activities like diaper changes and feeding!  
 
Go to https://instagram.com/throughtheeyesofatherapistpod for the Holiday 2021 book giveaway details!
 
Mentioned in the episode: To order your own copy go to Amazon Ella's Choice: Jeyarajan, Dr. Gaiathry: 9780228838982
 
https://instagram.com/lifeofashrink
 

Latinx Therapist Lessons

The interesting thing about being one of the 10% Latinx therapists in the U.S. is all of the UNLEARNING we had to do.  Luis Cornejo, LMFT and I talk about our “Lessons Learned” as therapists. (5.5% of therapists are fully bilingual BTW according to the APA.) Here’s some data about the gap that exists for mental health care for Spanish speaking Americans.
 
TBH, when before recording the episode, I thought it was going to be a straightforward sort of interview with questions like “what have you learned from your clients?” or “what are the hardest lessons you had to wrestle with as a growing therapist?”.  As the conversation unfolded, I quickly came to understand that our identities as Latinxs will ALWAYS color our experiences as professionals. Our therapist identities and cultural identities are inextricably tied…so much so, we can’t even have a philosophical or theoretical conversation without the ideas of marginalization, white supremacy, oppression, and Latinidad being infused into it. It’s not a bad thing! Asi es.
 
Mentioned in the episode:
https://psychosocial.media/
https://www.instagram.com/psychosocial_media/
 

Highly Sensitive Therapists

What is a highly sensitive therapist? Well, firstly what is a highly sensitive person?  Are we empaths? Introverts? Do we have special powers?  
 
In this interview with April Snow, LMFT, we have a candid and informative convo about what it’s like inside of a HST (Highly Sensitive Therapist’s) brain. Yep, it’s different in here.
 
Mentioned in the episode:
www.instagram.com/sensitivetherapist
www.aprilsnowconsulting.com
https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/
 
Correction: the book about introverts I mentioned is actually called the Introvert Advantage”
https://www.amazon.com/Introvert-Advantage-People-Thrive-Extrovert-ebook/dp/B006VUIDIY

Trauma Focused or Trauma Informed?

Can you tell the difference if a therapist is truly providing trauma-informed services or if they are merely providing trauma-focused care? 
In this episode, I explain the difference between the two concepts.  I also provide a list of questions to ask providers to ensure they are actually “trauma-informed”.
Mentioned in the episode:
https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/userfiles/files/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf
 
Register for the upcoming training I’ll be giving at https://tsp2021.Eventbrite.com
You can also drop me an email if you are interested in booking me for trauma-informed training or consultation at cristal@clarityelpaso.com

Horror Stories and the Parallels To Therapy

In this episode my guest, Marilyn Corbin-Burdick, Licensed Professional Counselor, and I discuss how horror films and stories are much like the therapeutic process.  We talk about folklore--stories passed down from previous generations, and why they are important to consider when thinking about dealing with our own traumas and mental illness.  We also discuss Stephen King novels and how insightful they actually are.  
I personally really dislike horror films, especially the gory ones...but now after this interview, I might look at them more analytically.  Thank you Marilyn!
Reach out to me on Instagram @throughtheeyesofatherapistpod and please review on Apple Podcasts!

Motherhood Is Wild

In this episode, Cristal Acosta, Licensed Professional Counselor, speaks with some of her colleagues who also happen to be a part of the new-mom club.  
 
In the first segment, Bianca Balderrama, LPC, talks about her experience giving birth in the middle of the pandemic, perinatal and post-partum anxiety/depression, as well as the grief and loss she and many women felt due to the missed experiences the pandemic caused.
 
In the second segment, another LPC, Monica Garfias talks about her experiences with having a medically fragile baby to care for in the middle of a pandemic, & how she balances work and personal life. Here are the support groups she mentions for parents of kids eight special needs: Trach babies- https://www.facebook.com/groups/momsoftrachbabies/?ref=share
G-tube babies-
https://www.facebook.com/groups/502557586477084/?ref=share
Reach out to me on Instagram-
@throughtheeyesofatherapistpod and please review on Apple Podcasts!

What A Decade This Year Has Been

Today, Cristal Acosta, LPC-S, NCC, speaks with Elisa D, LCSW about what the hell even happened to all of us in 2020 and 2021.  The series of unfortunate events that occurred over the last two years has taken a toll on not only our clients, but on therapists everywhere! We discuss what two therapists could have possibly been up to for the last year and a half.
 
Reach out to me on Instagram @throughtheeyesofatherapistpod and please review on Apple Podcasts!