What Your Therapist Is Reading ®

Healing from Parental Abandonment and Neglect with Kaytee Gillis

Psychotherapist and host Jessica Fowler interviews Kaytee Gillis this week about parental abandonment.  We are discussing her book: Healing from Parental Abandonment and Neglect: Move Beyond Insecure Attachment to Build Safety, Connection and Trust with Yourself and Others (affiliate link). Kaytee Gillis defines parental abandonment as a parent or caregiver severing the relationship through rejection, being kicked out of the home, or loss of a caregiver after divorce, and notes it can occur across the lifespan and overlaps at times with family estrangement. There are a variety of causes including family dysfunction, abuse, and homophobia/transphobia.  This in as we discuss how abandonment can impact the child and how to move forward with healing,
Highlights:
What Is Abandonment
 Estrangement vs Abandonment
Why It Happens
How It Shows Up
Healing Stages
Inner Child Practices
Jealousy Around Happy Families
Grieving the Living Parent
 Scripts for Awkward Questions
Forgiveness Without Pressure
Signs You Are Healing
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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
About the author:
Kaytee is a psychotherapist and author with a passion for working with survivors of relationship and family trauma and the LGBTQ+ community. She is the author of several books, including Breaking the Cycle: the 6 Stages of Healing from Childhood Family Trauma, and Healing from Parental Abandonment and Neglect.

Thriving in a Relationship When You Have Chronic Illness with Lisa Gray

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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
 
Psychotherapist and host Jessica Fowler interviews Lisa Gray this week about relationships and chronic illness.  We discuss her book:  Thriving in a Relationship When You Have Chronic Illness: Navigate Challenges and Keep Your Relationship Strong Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (affiliate link).  We explore how chronic illness changes couple dynamics and how acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can help.
Highlights:
How couples change
Bargaining and Money
ACT Skills
Values as a couple
 
About the author:
Lisa Gray is a licensed mental health professional with a private practice in the San Francisco Bay area. She is the author of two books and is passionate about teaching conflict and coping with chronic illness. She reads 200 books a year and lives with her family and three large dogs.

To Your Health: A Lifestyle of Health, Happiness and Confidence with Esther Avant

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*Information in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
Psychotherapist and host Jessica Fowler interviews health coach, author, and speaker Esther Avant about her book, "To Your Health: A Lifestyle of Health, Happiness, and Confidence," (affiliate link).  We explore how changing perspective can free people to question beliefs and pursue goals.
Highlights
Unlearning Beliefs
Self-Compassion Skills
Personality Isn’t Permanent
Three C’s: Consistency, commitment and confidence
Redefining Health
Small Wins Mindset
About the author:
Esther Avant is an author, speaker, and health industry veteran with over 19 years of experience helping people unlock their full potential by prioritizing their health. Through her bestselling book, To Your Health, podcast by the same name, and her work as a coach, Esther teaches individuals how to use health as the foundation for achieving lasting success in all areas of life—whether it’s losing weight for good, boosting career performance, or fostering personal growth. With a focus on her signature FITT framework and the 3 Cs of success, she empowers her clients to build sustainable habits that lead not just to better health but greater confidence, success, and happiness.

NORMALIZE IT: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women’s Lives with Jessica Zucker

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*Information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
On this weeks episode of What Your Therapist is Reading, Jessica Fowler speaks with Dr. Jessica Zucker about her book Normalize it: Upending the Silence, stigma and Shame that Shapes Women’s Lives, (affiliate link) which examines women’s experiences from girlhood through menopause, including miscarriage, body image, motherhood, and friendship, and aims to dismantle the silence, stigma, and shame surrounding them.
Highlights
Unspoken Pain and Joy
Replace Silence with Stories
Miscarriage Stigma and Shame
Motherhood Without a Village
Three-part framework—acknowledge it, share it, normalize it
Menopause
Friendship Grief and Loneliness
About the author
Jessica Zucker is a Los Angeles-based psychologist specializing in reproductive health and the author of the award-winning book I HAD A MISCARRIAGE: A Memoir, a Movement. Jessica is the creator of the viral #IHadaMiscarriage campaign. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, Vogue, and Harvard Business Review, among others. She’s been featured on NPR, CNN, The Today Show, and Good Morning America and earned advanced degrees from New York University and Harvard University. Her second book, NORMALIZE IT: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women’s Lives, is out now and available everywhere books are sold.
 

Your Enneagram and Money with Khara Croswaite Brindle and Hannah DeGroot

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*Information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
This week on What Your Therapist is Reading, psychotherapist and host Jessica Fowler is talking with Hannah DeGroot and Khara Croswaite Brindle about their book “Your Enneagram and Money: Transforming Enneagram Edges into Financial Freedom”(affiliate link). Talking about money can be difficult and bring a variety of feelings up for people. During this episode we explore how pairing the Enneagram with money is relational and practical. Understanding ourselves can be helpful in moving forward with our money goals.
Highlights:
Enneagram Basics
Deep dive into some of the type examples
Financial Therapy Meets Enneagram
Types of Money Patterns
Tools to Reduce Money Shame
About the authors:
Hannah DeGroot is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Enneagram Coach, Executive Coach and co-author of the book Your Enneagram and Money: Transforming Enneagram Edges into Financial Freedom. In her practice, she uses the Enneagram to help individuals find passion, motivation, and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives. 
Khara Croswaite Brindle is the published author of nine books who is passionate about passionate about turning pain points into possibilities.  This means she loves talking about topics that others wish to avoid like leadership trauma, client suicide, and money shame.  As a Social Enneagram Type Three Wing Two, perfectionist, certified financial therapist and serial entrepreneur who specialists in working with helping professionals, she is the co-author of the book Your Enneagram and Money: Transforming Enneagram Edges into Financial Freedom.

The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System and How to Fix it with Natalie Wexler

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*Information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
In this episode of What Your Therapist is Reading, psychotherapist and host Jessica Fowler interviews education writer Natalie Wexler about her book "The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—and How to Fix It.  (Affiliate Link) Wexler explains that many elementary schools, especially since the rise of high-stakes testing around 2000, have reduced time spent on history, social studies, and science in favor of practicing transferable reading “skills” like finding the main idea. Drawing on cognitive science, she argues these skills depend heavily on prior knowledge and vocabulary, and that building knowledge through coherent, topic-based instruction improves reading comprehension by reducing working-memory load (cognitive load theory). In addition, we discuss we explore how mental health and education are connected.
 
Highlights:
What the “Knowledge Gap” Is—and How Elementary School Got Here
Why “Reading Skills” Don’t Transfer: The Cognitive Science of Comprehension
Inquiry vs. Instruction: How Education Ideology Collides with Learning Science
Working Memory, Cognitive Load, and Why Background Knowledge Matters
History & Science Scores, Missing Context, and the “Mental Velcro” Effect
Mental health and education
18:30 What Parents & Communities Can Do: Knowledge-Building Curricula and Advocacy
22:07 Standards, Teacher Autonomy, and the Curriculum Problem No One Talks About
25:32 Why Therapists Should Care: Shame, Identity, and a Reno Classroom Breakthrough
29:58 Engagement Benefits: Behavior, Curiosity, and Kids Loving to Learn
32:07 Natalie’s New Book + Connecting Reading, Writing, and Content Learning
34:23 Wrap-Up, Where to Find More, and Podcast Disclaimer
About the author:
Natalie Wexler is an education writer who has spoken before a wide range of audiences in the U.S. and elsewhere, focusing on literacy, cognitive science, and fairness. She is the author of Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning and The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—And How to Fix It, and the co-author of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades. She is the host of “Reading Comprehension Revisited,” which is Season One of the Knowledge Matters Podcast.

Listening in the Raw: Coming Home to Receptivity by Dr. Randall Alfino

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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
In this episode of What Your Therapist is Reading, host Jessica Fowler, psychotherapist and book enthusiast, chats with Dr. Randall Alfino about his book “Listening in the Raw: Coming Home to Receptivity", which emphasizes deep, empathetic listening and the importance of vulnerability in fostering genuine human connections. Dr. Alfino shares personal anecdotes about reading and listening from his own life, exploring how true listening involves stripping away defenses and embracing curiosity and innocence. The discussion also touches on the psychospiritual dimension of listening and its transformative power in therapy and everyday relationships.
Highlights:
Personal Stories and Impact of Reading
Deep Dive into 'Listening in the Raw'
Practical Examples of Listening
The Role of Innocence and Vulnerability
About the author:
Dr. Randal Alifano has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is an Ordained Minister with over 40 years of integrating psychology and spirituality in his private practice. He has worked with a diverse group of people at various stages of their lives, listening to their dreams and aspirations, their traumas and confusions, and their desire to live life more attuned to their own inner wisdom. And he has loved doing it his entire career. Over the decades, he has studied numerous theories and methodologies—both psychological and spiritual—and they have all filtered down to inform who he is and how he works. Today we will be discussing his book Listening in the Raw: Coming Home to Receptivity.

AutPlay Therapy Play and Social Groups: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Model with Dr. Robert Jason Grant

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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
In this episode of What Your Therapist is Reading, host Jessica Fowler chats with Dr. Robert Jason Grant about his book “AutPlay Therapy Play and Social Groups: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Model” co-written with Tracy Turner-Bumberry. Dr. Grant explains the importance of respecting neurodivergent children's play preferences and avoiding imposing neurotypical standards on them. The conversation covers the concept of neurodiversity, practical examples of affirming care, and details about group therapy models that involve both children and their parents. Listeners are encouraged to learn more about providing affirming care to neurodivergent individuals and are given guidance on how to apply these principles in their practice.
Highlights:
Discussing and understanding Neurodiversity
Understanding Play Therapy through this lens
Group Therapy Models
Practical Applications and Final Thoughts
About the author:
Dr. Robert Jason Grant is the creator of AutPlay® Therapy. He is a therapist, supervisor, and consultant and utilizes several years of advanced training and his own lived neurodivergent experience to provide affirming services to children and their families. He is an international trainer and keynote presenter and multi-published author of several articles and books. He is currently serving on the board of directors for the Association for Play Therapy.

Maternal Ambivalence: The Loving Moments & Bitter Truths of Motherhood with Dr. Margo Lowy

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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.  
In this episode of 'What Your Therapist is Reading,' host Jessica Fowler chats with Dr. Margo Lowy, a psychotherapist, about her book 'Maternal Ambivalence: The Loving Moments and Bitter Truths of Motherhood.' We dive into the complexities of maternal ambivalence, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and understanding conflicting feelings in motherhood. Dr. Lowy shares personal anecdotes and insights into how these mixed emotions, including the darker ones, can fuel maternal love and growth.  The impact of societal ideals on mothers and the importance of self-compassion and personal reflections in parenting is explored.
Highlights:
The Concept of Maternal Ambivalence
The Good Enough Mother
Postpartum Depression vs. Maternal Ambivalence
Guilt vs. Shame
 
About the author:
Margo Lowy, PhD, is a psychotherapist specializing in mothering. She is the author of MATERNAL AMBIVALENCE: The Loving Moments & Bitter Truths of Motherhood (Post Hill Press) and holds a doctorate from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, where she researched maternal ambivalence. Dr. Lowy is the author of a previous academic book, The Maternal Experience: Encounters with Ambivalence and Love, and has spoken about maternal ambivalence at universities and in media interviews worldwide. She is a member of PEN America and a former advisor to the founder of the Australian Jewish Fertility Network (AJFN). She is mother to three children and is based with her husband in New York City.

Cooperative Co-Parenting for Secure Kids with Aurisha Smolarski, LMFT

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*Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
In this episode of What Your Therapist is Reading, host Jessica Fowler speaks with Aurisha Smolarski, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist, about her book 'Cooperative Co-Parenting for Secure Kids: The Attachment Theory Guide to Raising Kids in Two Homes.'(affiliant link) Aurisha and Jessica talk all things about co-parenting. Aurisha outlines the structure of her book, including the six Cs of cooperative co-parenting, and provides insightful examples of real-life co-parenting challenges and solutions. The conversation emphasizes the importance of focusing on the child's well-being, managing personal triggers, and shifting from a romantic relationship mindset to a co-parenting mindset. The episode also touches on practical tips and resources for parents and therapists alike.
Highlights:
 Diving into Cooperative Co-Parenting
Attachment Theory and Co-Parenting
Personal Experiences and Examples
The Co-Parenting Triangle
About the author:
Aurisha Smolarski, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist, certified co-parenting coach, mediator, and mother, with a clinical practice in Los Angeles, CA. She is the award winning author of Cooperative Co-Parenting for Secure Kids: The Attachment Theory Guide to Raising Kids in Two Homes. She specializes in working with co-parents, couples, and individuals. As a co-parent herself, she is very familiar with the challenges faced by parents raising kids in two households. For more than 15 years, she has drawn on attachment theory and other modalities to help clients move from conflict to cooperation, make child-centered agreements, and create a secure co-parenting two-home family system. She has been featured in Vogue, Newsweek, Huffington Post, and Parents among others.  She lives with her daughter and cat and sees clients both virtually and in person.