32. Writing Strongly Worded Letters and "Paying your Dues" is Bullshit (ft. Lauren McKay, LPC)

This week Karen learned how much sex education is required in counseling work, especially in couples counseling. The truth is that sex, intimacy (and the difference between those two!), basic sexual functioning, and consent are regular and frequent areas of focus in sessions with clients. Grad school did not prepare us for this! So, learn the facts and get comfortable talking about this stuff, cuz it’s part of the work! Our recommended starting place: the book Come as You Are by Emily NagoskiThis week we are sharing our conversation with Lauren McKay who is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Texas State University in San Marcos and a Master of Arts in Community Counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Lauren is currently in private practice where she works with clients experiencing trauma and grief, and she is EMDR and IFS trained. Lauren has worked in a lot of different settings and ultimately found her way into treating trauma professionally through her own personal experiences with trauma and seeking treatment for herself. With Lauren we do a lot of mind-meld complaining about all the bullshit that we’ve encountered along the ladder of this profession - before and after grad school AND before and after licensure. Lauren is so passionate about calling out the hypocrisy in the profession and we are Here For It!Resources mentioned: American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson (2025 Netflix docuseries)Kendhal Hart EMDR training: https://www.kendhalhart.com/emdr-training Steel Magnolias (1989 film)Lauren’s practice website: www.laurenmckaylpc.com Or Psychology Today profile: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/lauren-mckay-round-rock-tx/886001 Thank you for listening! By the way, if you're curious about how we produce this show, we use Alitu. It's straightforward to use and has made podcasting actually sustainable for us. Use code TEA50 at Alitu.com for 50% off if you want to try it yourself!Thoughts? Questions? Email us at [email protected] Follow us on social media: Facebook: Therapy Tea Podcast https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552953196482 Instagram: @therapyteapod https://www.instagram.com/therapyteapod/ Listen to us on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmM3_WRulJpvstPLZiKOBQ Disclaimer: This podcast is not therapy and does not establish a professional, therapeutic counseling relationship. All statements made on this podcast by hosts and guests are their individual personal perspectives only and are not necessarily shared by anyone else. The hosts and guests on this podcast are not speaking on behalf of all mental health professionals or the profession as a whole.