Podcast had a great premise, but unfortunately the hosts lack the experience and ability to appropriately research or cover the topics brought up by clients on the podcast. They also talk too much, and Ben in particular spends more time talking about what he thinks a client is probably feeling rather than allowing space for the guest to answer. The strongest episodes are when they bring on actual experts to reflect on the issues brought up by the guest. Based on this podcast, I would never want therapy with either of these hosts, especially Ben, because they lack nuance, expertise, professionalism, and empathy.

My first listen was the one on trauma informed care. Given the latest research (MRI imaging, etc), there is definitely a link between trauma and the brain/nervous system. Maybe do another literature search on a real repository like MedLine. I found this podcast to be I’ll-informed and black and white, which is never a good way to approach a platform that claims to want to inform. I agree that not all therapeutic techniques and therapists are effective, but this podcast seems to slam something the host claims at the beginning to know nothing about. One and done

Thank you both for this. After I graduated, I still felt very lost in this field and had a lot of questions that I think you guys explored. I listened to all the episodes in like a year or less😅 and can say that it's helped me feel more at ease in the field. Ben I hope you are able to find the joy in this field because I so understand those feelings. I'm still finding it myself. Hope to see y'all back again some time.

Really hope this is not goodbye forever, but I totally understand. I’ve been a silent listener for quite some time. Really loved this podcast. Probably one of my favorites. Thank you for taking the time and effort to create a space for the topics you covered. It was healing and insightful. I wish you both the best!!!

Love this show and definitely sad to hear you’re taking a break! I 100% got what Ben was talking about in the last episode. When your passion for understanding something leads to peaking too far behind the curtain, it can definitely leave a bad taste in your mouth. Cheering you on as you re-connect to the work you love in a new way. Good luck!

Sad to see you go! I wholeheartedly resonate with your cynicism, Ben. It's incredibly disheartening to witness people blindly following the marketing hype, and it often feels like we're fighting an uphill battle. All I can express is the urgent need for more voices like yours (Carrie and Ben) in the field of therapy. Academics tend to converse among themselves, but your passion for therapy reaches a far broader audience. I extend my best wishes to you and eagerly await your return!

I love the insight that you both share! I am glad that y’all take devils advocate and try to always critically think about the therapy world ☺️ it’s refreshing for me as I am learning more about what type of clinician I would like to become. Keep up the great work!

I enjoy different takes on popular therapies. I love the information provided. But sometimes, the hosts are condescending about the therapies they do not believe in. I believe you can have an opinion. But, it is another thing to laugh at and mock therapists who do not follow the same path you do.

Hosts talk too much. Constantly giving their opinion or trying to reflect what guests say. Plus at times giving very questionable takes.

I’m a social worker taking my licensing exam in early October. This is easily my favorite podcast for so many reasons—I listen to it at the gym and while driving to work. I’ve learned so much from the study hall episodes and have incorporated insights from Ben and Carrie, guests, and experts into my practice with clients. Keep up the great work!

Some of the episodes are interesting and insightful! As others have pointed out, the hosts tend to come off as overly opinionated given their experience levels, which damages their credibility at times. Overall, it seems like they have a noble mission, but I wish they would take a more non-judgmental stance and leave more room for nuance and multiple interpretations rather than jumping to condemnation so often.

Just listened to the EMDR episode with Angela Nauss as the “expert” (checked her level of experience on the BBS website and can see she’s been licensed only 3 years, not sure how long she’s been trained in EMDR, but it’s probably less than that). For reference, I’ve been licensed 23 years, trained & certified in EMDR & practicing it for 7 years. I’ve noticed that the longer I do this job, the more skilled I get. Inexperienced therapists can often feel incompetent & can tend to hide behind QUANTITATIVE research. Most experienced therapists know that QUALITATIVE observations are just as powerful (if not more so). Why invite someone on the pod to discuss a therapy she has very little experience with, has a clearly negative view of & she admits she had very poor outcomes using it with her clients? In order to do EMDR therapy well, it takes good training, competent consultation thru the first year of practice, and ongoing learning. Admittedly it’s not for every client or every issue, it’s not a magic pill, AND in 7 years of practicing it (in addition to seeking it out & experiencing it as a client as well) I’ve seen truly amazing results with about 90% of the clients who complete the process. The reason why some EMDR therapists sound culty when discussing this work is because the results (in my experience both as client and therapist) can truly be what I hesitate to call “magical.” (I once finished reprocessing a 50 year old trauma memory with a 60 year old client who returned the following week & jokingly said he’d like more of the witchcraft I’d given him the previous session, because he felt so different). So much of what Angela says is just incorrect, and it hurts me to think of a potential client out there suffering who doesn’t try this incredibly powerful therapy because of this negative podcast. Sometimes therapies don’t get results because the therapist is unskilled or inexperienced or poorly trained, not because the therapy is faulty or ineffective.

I just listened to the episode about trauma informed therapy. At first, I felt like there was some good information about the history of trauma informed care and was interested. It took a sharp turn for me. The female host is extremely offputting and for someone who just recently graduated her masters program and openly admits at the beginning of the episode that she’s never really looked into trauma informed care before I found her extremely strong opinions to be really unbearable. From what I can tell on her website, she doesn’t actually see clients, she coaches people through the “traumatizing“ experience of applying for a graduate school. huh? That’s great but stay in your lane. When you start putting down the work of people like Bessel van der Kolk and act like you know more than he and other actual experts, you come off as incredibly ignorant. I mean, I know you consulted your physician brother, and googled a bunch of articles in preparation for the episode, but it was a real miss for me. I get where the host was coming from. As far as saying there needs to be more research done, yes obviously, but what we have to work with right now is what we have to work with so until you’re going to get out there and actually see clients and do some research and see how this is all applicable, I would suggest that you maybe stick to what you know. I am a trauma therapist who has worked exclusively with children who are victims of abuse for the past decade. I feel like the information that this episode is putting out is irresponsible at best. I would not recommend.

I’m confuse on the premise of this episode. The host kept alluding and jokingly saying that evangelicals can not be ethical therapists. It’s probably tongue in cheek or being playful but it came across as if he meant it. I wonder if he will hold the same stance for other Faiths. Like a moslem therapist etc. I’m a bit confused and bothered by that. It was confusing and distasteful and in no way represents the vast majority of Christian therapists. Im glad Josh insisted that he knew of excellent Christian therapists.

I have greatly enjoyed the content of this podcast, especially the Study Hall episodes. However, Ben seems to often disrupt the flow of conversations (with Carrie and guests). He comes across as deliberately obtuse and overcomplicates simple topics. Carrie is thorough in her preparation and I would love to hear more of her prepared content uninterrupted!

Thank you for your podcast! It is so helpful and relatable!

This show is getting me through my clinical mental health counseling program and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. The hosts are uniquely relatable to early career therapists, and infuse their entertaining conversations with research, ethics, and empathy. They are a pleasure to listen to - Carrie is joyful and confident, and Ben is thoughtful and witty. I’d highly recommend this show for anyone considering going into the mental health field.

Honestly, I like listening to others perspectives and how they come to their conclusions. Bringing in guests to share their experiences is a new take. Overall concept of the podcast is ok. My only negative review is the audio quality and one on the hosts who seems to be yelling. She may not be yelling but there is a stark difference in hearing Caroline’s responses and/or summarizations, especially when it gets heated. I like hearing their different takes but the pitch and tones from Caroline’s mic makes it difficult to sit through unless I am intentional to change the volume throughout the podcast. Again, it can just be a technical issue. I primarily listen through Apple podcast or Spotify! Thanks for putting your show together.

I have come back to this podcast a dozen or so times; I take seriously their stated mission of considering client experiences, decreasing ethical violations, and preventing harm in the field of mental health treatment. And yet, each time I listen, I get a definite “red flag” feeling when listening to Carrie talk about these cases and with these clients (as she would phrase it). For sure, a kind of generalized sexism about her tone and inflection could be contributing to my negative reaction, but I’ve tried to really take that into consideration when evaluating my own negative response. I feel confident that my reaction is a legitimate concern about Carrie’s working out/working thru something that seems driven and somewhat compulsive, via this podcast and its guests. Her lack of nuance, her moral certitude, her indignant outrage — all of it smacks of something complexed in her for which she is seeking remedy and retribution via this show. This is a real shame, because it detracts from the stated mission of the podcast and seems to retrigger/activate already harmed guests into the same psychic space. I can imagine this happening to listeners, as well. To be clear, it’s not the content/topic of the show I object to, but the way in which it is approached that gives me some serious pause. I hesitated to write this review, as I am afraid it will just be ignored and dismissed by the podcast hosts rather than seriously considered. Nonetheless, I think this needs to be attended to (ideally by Carrie herself with the support of others) in order that the very real and important content of this show can be addressed in a more productive and beneficial way, because the overall intent of the podcast is a valuable one.

Throws therapists under the bus. The concept of this podcast just seems rude unprofessional and maybe unethical. One and done.

I really enjoy this as a client and as a therapist.

Therapists everywhere are taught how not to micro-aggress clients and I love how the last episode talked about how common micro-antisemitism is in our culture. The guests outlined how "othering" Jews by asking them about things they may have no knowledge of is harmful. To the reviewer who said being anti-israel is not antisemitic: You are missing the point of the podcast while proving it. The first guest said she was concerned about violence against her community and her therapist responded with “how do you feel about Israel/Palestine?” In addition to the question being off-topic, it also was a barometer for the client’s “wokeness,” and “othered” her based not only on religion but also politics/values/morals. The underlying assumption in some highly progressive circles is "If you're anything but staunchly anti-Israel, you're not one of us." If you've spent any time in left-leaning circles, you know this is true. And since most Jews have complicated and nuanced feelings about Israel, they're "out" before the conversation begins. This episode isn't about centering whiteness but rather another dimension of identity in our society that confers real risks on those who carry it.

The hosts are empathic to the guests and ask really engaging and interesting questions. Love this podcast!

Being asked a question about Israel/Palestine is not anti-semitism. Gross to see white woman playing victim using that crap. Sad that both hosts ate it up even though this guest obviously came on to push an agenda.

I just found this podcast a few days ago and can’t stop listening! I’m about to graduate with my MSW and I am learning so much from you both and your guests. I would love to listen to an episode about clinical documentation/audits/how the heck were supposed to be good at treatment planning and progress notes when schools don’t often do a good job at teaching that. I’d also love to hear an episode on IFS or narrative therapy or hypnotherapy (clinical hypnosis).

I love podcasts, and this one is my favorite by far. I’m a Resident Counselor constantly working to be the best therapist I can be in order to help my clients. Ben and Carrie are so so relatable in their reflections, questions, and dialogue which are both refreshing and reassuring. I want to emphasize that BOTH hosts add meaningful value since there are so many haters out there. I love the conversations they have with their guests and even the thought provoking discussions they have with each other. The client perspective is so crucial, regardless of fit, context, etc. This show shines the light on that perspective and how a client could perceive something the therapist does/doesn’t do to be negative or hurtful. This is why I keep coming back. How can I better understand myself as therapist and the impact my words and actions have on my clients? What might I be missing and how can I talk to my clients about it? I don’t have a counselor buddy since I work remotely in PP so in a way, this podcast fills that space for me. I feel so grateful for this podcast because it really makes me think, challenges me, and excites me with the various topics as they relate to my approach to therapy and the needs of my clients. Couldn’t recommend this podcast more!

Just listened to the recent episode. I understand you want to give clients’ a voice about their negative therapy experiences. However, why not include episodes of clients’ positive therapeutic experiences? It’s odd as a therapist or a therapist in training to only look at just one side, all-or- nothing, in this case, negative stories, unless it’s for entertainment/clickbait purposes for your podcast. Which is fine. Out of respect for the field, I strongly encourage a disclaimer stating that you are using clients’ negative therapy experiences to increase traffic to your podcast so as to not discourage people from reaching out for help and increasing the stigma of therapy.

I just found this podcast, but wish I would have found it earlier! I am a newly licensed LPC and this podcast helps me with my imposter syndrome by realizing I’m not a bad therapist while also challenging me and helping me figure out how to be better! It’s also very funny at times! The hosts are so easy to listen to & their rapport is so natural and honest. Love it!

I want to listen to every podcast, but like, so many likes are said, like you know, like, it distracts me from, like, all the other, like, words, like, being said.

This podcast is just what I need as a therapist almost a year into practice after graduation. To me, this podcast and more and more conversations like this, is exactly what the therapy profession needs!

Love Thomas Lennon, learned he was on from his Twitter post, listened to hear from him. But you talked about yourselves for the first 5:32. I gave up.

Just love this podcast! The only downside is that podacsts aren't released more often.

These episodes can be hard to listen to but I’m so grateful this podcast exists. I cohost the mental health podcast Latchkey Urchins

I’m a counseling student in graduate school in my first semester of practicum, I’m listening to this podcast to count towards my indirect hours as research. As someone who has been very anxious about how I’ll do, hearing how some actual “professionals” in the field work, I feel a lot better about how I’m doing. In all seriousness, this is a great podcast.

While looking for some podcasts to listen to on my way to work, I stumbled upon this podcast. Let me say that I don’t know where I was or where this was hiding, but I was missing out on this absolute gem. Ben and Carrie are both intelligent, entertaining, engaging, & empathetic hosts who facilitate discussion with clients that are brave enough to share their stories and negative experiences in therapy. I find myself waiting for the podcast to drop and listen to it probably 2-3 times. Highly recommend for clinicians in the field, students, and even clients. There’s so many insightful points that are made and elicits the entire spectrum of emotions (sometimes all in the same episode). The episode on grief is the one I 100% had to listen to multiple times and had me hooked. Subscribed ✅ Immediate download✅ Patreon membership for extra episodes ✅ Keep doing the amazing work you are and thank you for having this platform to give people a voice where they might not feel they have one. ❤️

I recently finished grad school in December and so I am a “baby” therapist. I appreciate the depth and insights presented in this podcast. As I fight through imposter syndrome, the podcast often is encouraging to me. Plus I find Ben and Caroline delightful to listen to! I love their back-and-forth banter.

Ben, I just wanted to say that I also wear sweaters in 90 degree weather with clients because I get cold when I’m nervous. I also have a heating pad on my lap during zoom sessions! I thought I was the only one that got cold like that. Also I love this podcast and it’s helping me a lot as a new therapist!

Her voice is quite unpleasant and comparing treatment to ordering coffee?!

I appreciate this as a place to tell stories about therapy, especially from the client perspective. This is a must-listen for people who currently work or want to work in mental health fields! Great conversation about how therapy impacts real people in ways that we’re proud of, and plenty of ways we need to do better. Of course it’s a little gossipy - it’s about bad therapy! But overall respectful, funny, and challenging in a good way.

I love this podcast. I’ve learned so much and I love getting a behind the scenes look at therapy

This podcast is getting hard to listen to, as so many of the guests discussing their “bad therapy” experience seem to simply be describing a poor fit or their experience of simply not liking a therapist rather than reflecting on objectively bad therapy practices. That’s an important difference. Is it fair to excoriate a therapist (even anonymously) for being a poor fit? There are truly many bad therapists out there, but some of the therapists being discussed here don’t seem to fall in that category and the outrage and judgment seems really unfair. It also gets grating hearing Wiita scream all the time.

As a psychologist, I am quite impressed by these two up and coming leaders in their field. They have so much depth and awareness. Show is entertaining at times and deeply empathetic throughout. The therapists guests have been exceptional, whether big names like Gehart or Combs, or other newer clinicians with incredible insight like Brooke. 86 and 87 with her were my favorites so far, actually! I can’t wait to hear more. What a great service to the professions and would-be clients!

This podcast has gotten a little challenging to listen to; some of the guests sharing their experiences may need a little more vetting. The hosts are obviously newer in their practice but carry the show fairly well. However, many of the experts that come on have wonderful things to share.

This podcast is a breath of fresh air. What really stands out is just how trailblazing it is. Ben and Carrie walk the balance of educational and entertaining so well, all while validating guests and helping them heal, all while not demonizing the profession. I feel more pride in my professional community knowing that these hosts are passionate agents of change and leaders in the community. We can be our best therapist selves and don’t need to fear leaning in and learning from awkward moments and mistakes.

As a therapist, I’m enjoying this podcast. I’ve definitely made mistakes and I wish I could thank all the patients along the way who helped me learn. While many of the therapists mentioned in this podcast acted unprofessionally, provided misinformation or had poor boundaries- I’d be interested in hearing more stories about therapists who commit more egregious violations and the experts perspective on how these events occur etc. Thanks for your hard work on this podcast!

I really appreciate the break down of the stories with the experts after the client. It’s really helpful for me as a clinician to hear from them!

I feel like the field of group therapy completely ignores the harm to patients by gas lighting them, when the field itself as it is taught seems to be very self serving and aimed at drawing people in and convincing them, rather than actually helping. I had a licensed credentialed group therapist who used cult leader and trauma bonding tactics to build up a steady patient case load.

Disappointed—not very intelligent or nuanced

I’ve been binging this podcast. I can’t get enough. Not only is the psychological information en pointe, for anyone who has experienced bad therapy it’s very validating. The banter between Ben and Carrie is hilarious and intellectually stimulating. Love love love!

This podcast is unique and also very interesting. But I always come away with a few concerns. First, the hosts don't seem to distinguish a *mistake* in therapy from therapy which is actually "very bad". In fairness -- their experts often deal with this angle, but before you get there, the performative outrage can give the hosts' tone a feel of . . . teenager know-it-all, or something. Very good therapy often involves a lot of mistakes or otherwise mis-guided moves by the authority in the session; in fact, it seems to me that very good therapy can often *require* the professional to work at the margin of their cognition (and psychological fitness) for a good deal of the work. This is going to result in some moves that land poorly, necessitating some collateral work in the dynamic -- but the hosts tend to respond as if it was *obvious* that a given move was, you know, BAD. Second, there is a lot of grandiose validation of the guest's experience. Without question, validation is essential and also a very powerful bonding technique, but soemtimes I get the feeling that the hosts deploy it as an affirmation of the veracity of the underlying facts of the report. This is also concerning -- surely anyone in the profession of therapy knows that there are many sides to any given situation??? And while one side's perceptions form the core of the reckoning on that side of the experience, they're not necessarily factual depictions of what actually happened. Let alone what was intended by an in-session move. I'd like to see episodes where the therapist who did the "very bad" thing comes on to tell their side as well, as well as their work to recover when things went poorly for the patient.