Skip to content
Working with Despair episode artwork

Dec 17, 2025 41 min

Working with Despair

from Edge of the Couch

When despair shows up in session, it can be challenging to know how to respond. It's delicate. You don't want to move too quickly, tip into toxic positivity, and look for the silver lining, nor do you want the client to dive into those feelings only to fall deeper into abject hopelessness. In this episode, we talk about how we work with despair. It requires finely tuned clinical skills, and we hope that this conversation can help you feel less stuck when working with folks struggling with despair. Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch, share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. We have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account. Alison McCleary www.woodstovewellness.ca Jordan Pickell www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca @jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram Edge of the Couch www.edgeofthecouch.com @edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

When despair shows up in session, it can be challenging to know how to respond. It's delicate. You don't want to move too quickly, tip into toxic positivity, and look for the silver lining, nor do you want the client to dive into those feelings only to fall deeper into abject hopelessness. In this episode, we talk about how we work with despair. It requires finely tuned clinical skills, and we hope that this conversation can help you feel less stuck when working with folks struggling with des...

Ready to play

Working with Despair

0:00 41:11

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of Edge of the Couch?

This episode is 41 minutes long.

When was this Edge of the Couch episode published?

This episode was published on December 17, 2025.

Can I download this Edge of the Couch episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.