The Right Therapist

In this episode of The Right Therapist, Laura speaks with Janice Florent, a PACFA Certified Clinical Supervisor and Registered Clinical Counsellor with 25 years of experience, about why change can feel so difficult even when we genuinely want it. Janice explains ambivalence as the normal push and pull between wanting change and fearing what it may cost. Rather than rushing into plans or advice, she invites clients and therapists to slow down, make room for competing parts, and explore the values beneath each option. The conversation examines the righting reflex - the urge to fix distress - and how premature solutions can disconnect people from their own wisdom. Laura and Janice also explore the 'inner committee': the inner critic, the perfectionist, the hesitant part, and the inner mentor. Janice reframes the inner critic as a protector that needs to be understood rather than silenced, and describes how compassion-focused therapy can help balance the threat, drive, and soothing systems. Using Paul Gilbert's red, blue, and green circles, they explain why regulation is not about remaining calm all the time. They discuss avoidance, the window of tolerance, and how small moments of soothing can help us approach difficult emotions without becoming overwhelmed. They also examine high achievement and perfectionism, asking when striving is connected to purpose and when it is driven by fear or self-criticism. The conversation then turns to decision paralysis, fear of making the wrong choice, and the value of taking small experimental steps. Janice explains what a strengths-based approach looks like in practice, how therapists can identify barriers and enablers, and how change talk can signal that someone is becoming ready to move forward. Finally, Laura and Janice explore the grief that can accompany even positive change and how gratitude can support the soothing system without becoming forced positivity. This is a compassionate conversation about therapy as a place of courage, curiosity, self-trust, and change at your own pace. #ambivalence #change #innercritictherapy #compassionfocusedtherapy #rightingreflex #nervoussystemregulation soothingsystems #selfcompassion #valuesbasedtherapy #therapypodcast #mentalhealth Episode Timestamps 00:00 — Opening reflection 00:30 — Introduction to Janice Florent 01:36 — Janice's work 03:09 — Why rushing change can backfire 05:22 — The therapist's righting reflex 07:23 — Ambivalence in the change process 09:20 — Meeting the inner committee 11:07 — Understanding the inner critic 13:46 — Growing the inner mentor 14:48 — When choices feel high stakes 17:32 — Values as a way through ambivalence 19:26 — Letting every part have a voice 19:45 — The three emotional regulation systems 23:15 — Balancing threat, drive, and soothing 24:17 — Regulation is not constant calm 26:20 — Small ways to enter the green zone 28:31 — Why soothing is easy to overlook 34:17 — Avoiding the threat zone 37:14 — Building tolerance for difficult emotions 42:00 — High achievement and perfectionism 44:32 — The inner mentor and balanced striving 50:19 — When a decision feels paralysing 54:33 — Fear of change 59:05 — A strengths-based approach 1:07:21 — Barriers and enablers 1:09:22 — Recognising readiness for change 1:13:19 — Grief and loss in change 1:18:17 — Gratitude without performance 1:24:54 — Closing reflection

In this episode of The Right Therapist, the host speaks with Auður Zoëga, an integrative psychotherapist and parent coach, about what children actually need to grow — and why good parenting is not the same as perfect parenting. Drawing on attachment-based developmental psychology and her work with parents of young children, Auður describes four interconnected needs: a dependable relationship, permission to feel, psychological rest, and self-directed play. Together, they explore how parents can hold boundaries without shame, distinguish leadership from power-over or permissiveness, and respond to meltdowns with a soft heart while still keeping everyone safe. The conversation also considers parental triggers, repair after difficult moments, misinformation about milestones and manners, and how therapy can help parents embody the steadiness they want to offer their children. #gentleparenting #attachmentbasedparenting #parentingmeltdowns #emotionalregulation #parentaltriggers #repairafterconflict #childplay #childdevelopment #parentcoachAustraliaEpisode Timestamps 00:00 — Why perfect parenting can set children up to fail Auður explains how messiness, recovery, and repair model being human. 00:16 — Introduction to Auður Zoëga An integrative psychotherapist and parent coach supporting families with young children. 01:35 — Making parenting more peaceful and connected Why understanding children’s actual developmental needs can make family life easier. 04:08 — The four conditions children need to grow Relationship, permission to feel, psychological rest, and self-directed play. 06:40 — Play without goals or consequences Creating a “yes space” where children can explore without constant interruption. 08:50 — Resting in the relationship Why children need to take a caregiver’s love and availability for granted. 10:32 — Feelings are allowed; behaviour can still be stopped Separating emotional acceptance from boundaries around kicking, hitting, or damage. 12:52 — Why parents search for the right technique Moving from external rules towards self-trust and authentic leadership. 14:05 — Seeing a meltdown through a softer lens How a change in perspective moves a parent out of judgement and power struggle. 17:35 — When the parent becomes flooded Taking space, returning to regulation, and repairing after a reaction. 19:44 — Power-over versus leadership A good leader listens, collaborates, and still carries adult responsibility. 22:16 — Needs are not always met in the way a child requests Finding flexible ways to offer closeness while still going to school or work. 27:44 — The emotional cost of harsh discipline How imposed separation, shame, and rejection can teach a child that feelings are unsafe. 31:00 — “Nothing is wrong” Holding a firm boundary without turning a normal developmental struggle into an emergency. 35:44 — Gentle parenting and the messy middle Why nurturing connection and setting boundaries are not opposites. 39:04 — When permissiveness becomes a burden Children can become anxious when they feel more powerful than the adults around them. 43:19 — Parental triggers and the role of therapy 47:00 — Misinformation, milestones, manners, and sharing 51:43 — Resting in love instead of earning it 57:16 — Good enough parenting, not perfection 59:53 — Dysregulation, return, and repair 1:03:35 — The parent’s grounding practice 1:04:11 — Parenting the child in front of you 1:07:26 — What if I have already made mistakes? 1:12:45 — What grows from a secure foundation 1:16:47 — Roots before fruit 1:18:46 — Be your child’s answer

In this deeply compassionate conversation, psychotherapist and mental health social worker Vessal joins Laura Duggan to explore how becoming a parent can awaken our deepest attachment wounds while also creating opportunities for healing. Together they unpack why parenting is far more than a set of skills—it is a relationship that challenges us to confront our own childhood experiences, emotional patterns and expectations. Through the lens of attachment theory, trauma-informed practice, psychoanalytic psychotherapy and neuroscience, they explore perfectionism, parental anger, emotional regulation, rupture and repair, and what it really means to be a "good enough" parent. The episode also features a moving live therapy session where Laura explores how her own childhood experiences influence her parenting today, revealing how therapy can help parents respond with greater compassion, flexibility and connection. This episode is for new and expecting parents, parents navigating difficult moments with their children, therapists, and anyone wanting a deeper understanding of attachment, emotional healing and the lifelong relationship between parents and their children. #attachmentparenting #perinatalmentalhealth #parent-childrelationship #trauma-informedtherapy #psychoanalyticpsychotherapy #emotionalregulation #repair #secureattachment #parentingaftertrauma #childdevelopment #maternalmentalhealth health 00:00 – Introduction Parenthood opens us to profound love—and often to old emotional wounds. 02:00 – Meet Vessal Background as a mental health social worker supporting parents, children and families. 06:00 – Expectations vs Reality Why becoming a parent is both joyful and deeply challenging. 12:00 – The Inner Critic How self-judgment shapes the parenting experience. 20:00 – Good Enough Parenting Why children do not need perfect parents. 28:00 – Helping Children Build Resilience Allowing distress while remaining emotionally available. 37:00 – Anxiety, Anger & Shame Understanding difficult emotions in parents. 48:00 – Accepting Help Why parenting was never meant to happen alone. 1:02:00 – Live Therapy Session A real therapy conversation exploring parenting, anger, rigidity and repair. 1:53:00 – Closing Reflections Holding compassion for ourselves and our children.

In this practical and insightful conversation, Melbourne-based psychotherapist Tim Fraser joins Laura Duggan to explore one of the most common questions people face when seeking therapy: How do you find the right therapist for you? Together they discuss the differences between psychology and psychotherapy, the role of attachment in mental health, why the therapeutic relationship matters so much, and how clients can identify green flags and red flags in early therapy sessions. The episode also includes a live therapy demonstration, showing how therapy can move from symptoms and bodily sensations into deeper emotional understanding, attachment themes, and experiences of safety and connection. This episode is for anyone considering therapy, searching for a therapist, or wanting a clearer understanding of how effective therapy works. Timestamps & Talking Points 00:00 – 02:08 Introduction & acknowledgement of Country 02:09 – 05:56 Psychology vs psychotherapy: training, focus, and practice 05:57 – 08:54 Attachment theory and who benefits from attachment work 08:55 – 10:12 Signs of insecure attachment 10:13 – 26:39 Live therapy segment: bodily sensations, imagery, attachment, and co-regulation 26:40 – 36:31 What happened in the therapy demonstration and how the process unfolded 36:32 – 40:27 How to start looking for a therapist 40:28 – 47:19 What to look for in the first few sessions 47:20 – 55:36 Rupture, repair, and feedback in therapy 55:37 – 1:00:16 When therapy drifts and how to talk about it 1:00:17 – 1:05:04 Green flags and red flags when choosing a therapist 1:05:05 – End Closing reflections

In this episode of The Right Therapist, somatic psychotherapist Chelsea Herbert explores grief, trauma, nervous system healing, and the transformative power of softening into emotion rather than resisting it. Through conversations around Internal Tracking, body-based therapy, voice work, and wilderness practices, Chelsea shares how reconnecting with the body can help us move through pain, rediscover self-trust, and return to a deeper sense of aliveness and connection.#Somaticpsychotherapy #internaltracking #griefwork #body-basedtherapy #embodiedtherapy #emotionalhealing #traumaintegration #feltsense #creativeexpression Show Notes (with timestamps) 00:00 – Opening Reflection on Grief & Softening 01:23 – Introduction to Chelsea Herbert 01:42 – Chelsea’s Path Into Therapy 05:00 – What Is Somatic & Experiential Therapy? 06:31 – Working With Sensitive & Creative People 08:52 – Ease, Joy & Emotional Expansion 10:00 – What Is Internal Tracking? 11:30 – The Accident That Changed Everything 15:00 – Learning to Receive Support 16:20 – How Internal Tracking Sessions Work 20:00 – Protective Parts & The Wisdom of the Body 23:44 – Therapy as Self-Trust, Not Dependency 25:38 – Grief, Softening & Negative Capability . 31:25 – Voice Work, Creativity & Expression 38:24 – Wilderness Therapy & Vision Quest 40:46 – Outdoor Therapy & Nature as Co-Therapist 43:00 – Closing

In this episode of The Right Therapist, Laura speaks with Tessa Priest, a narrative therapist who explores the powerful relationship between the story we tell and the person telling it. Tessa blends narrative therapy with expressive arts, somatic awareness, and mindfulness to help people reconnect with their preferred identities and reshape the stories that shape their lives. Together, they explore how stories are formed, how they can limit or expand us, and how therapy can create space to re-author our lives with intention, creativity, and compassion. The episode includes a live therapeutic moment, offering a rare and intimate look at how narrative and somatic practices intersect in real time. Episode Timestamps 00:00 — Slowing down and connecting to the body How therapy works in small, manageable moments rather than overwhelm. 01:26 — Introduction to Tessa Priest Narrative therapist integrating storytelling, expressive arts, and somatic work. 02:10 — Tessa’s background and journey into narrative therapy From performing arts to therapy and meaning-making. 05:49 — When stories don’t support us How dominant and inherited narratives shape identity. 06:07 — Deconstructing harmful narratives Understanding societal, cultural, and personal influences on our story. 10:33 — The role of creativity and play Why expression (drawing, writing, movement) is central to healing. 12:10 — Rewriting identity through lived experience How small shifts create new possibilities. 15:48 — How stories evolve over time The difference between past and present interpretations of the same event. 18:10 — Live therapy exploration begins Somatic awareness, emotion, and memory emerge in real time. 21:28 — Compassion for the younger self Rewriting internal narratives through care and understanding. 23:25 — The role of community and support How relationships shape healing. 27:31 — Writing back to your younger self A powerful narrative therapy technique. 31:07 — Trusting the body and therapy process Why safety and presence matter. 33:22 — Multiple versions of the self Understanding identity as layered and non-linear. 37:31 — Fear of revisiting the past How therapy avoids overwhelm through “titration.” 40:46 — The importance of therapist-client fit Why depth depends on relational safety. 43:41 — Therapy beyond the room Collaborative and community-based healing approaches. 48:00 — Therapy in unconventional spaces Nature, movement, and environment as part of healing. 50:52 — Story + body integration Why slowing down deepens meaning. 53:27 — Future self perspective How imagining your future self changes present decisions. 55:58 — Boundaries and “no” The importance of limits in identity and healing. 57:47 — Life is not linear Stories as loops, spirals, and evolving narratives. 59:09 — Embodied therapy vs cognitive insight Why the body reveals more than the mind alone. 1:00:04 — Power, culture, and identity How societal structures influence personal narratives. 1:05:01 — Consistency, identity, and purpose Following what feels deeply aligned.

Why do so many neurodivergent adults feel lazy or like failed adults?In this episode of The Right Therapist, counsellor and narrative therapist Dana Kabaila explores neurodivergence, burnout, masking, and the deeper systems that shape how people understand themselves.Drawing on lived experience, Dana challenges the idea of “laziness,” reframing it as a mismatch between neurodivergent ways of being and the demands of a productivity-driven world.The conversation explores how shame-based identities form, why burnout is so common, and how narrative therapy can help people separate themselves from problem-saturated stories.Dana also introduces the concept of neuro rewilding — reconnecting with natural rhythms, needs, and more sustainable ways of living beyond rigid societal expectations.

In this episode of The Right Therapist, Laura speaks with Celia Dunsmore, an accredited mental health social worker whose work is grounded in attachment theory and trauma-informed therapy. Celia draws from somatic experiencing, emotion-focused therapy and compassion-focused approaches to help people understand how early relationships shape the way they experience safety, connection and intimacy. Together they explore how attachment patterns develop in childhood, how they influence adult relationships, and how therapy can help people build new experiences of safety, regulation and connection. The episode includes a short therapy demonstration that offers a glimpse into how attachment wounds can be explored and integrated in the therapy room. Timestamps:00:00 — Childhood survival strategies How early environments shape protective responses like people-pleasing, fawning and becoming invisible to stay safe. 00:38 — Introduction to Celia Dunsmore 01:27 — Who Celia works with Supporting adolescents and adults navigating relational trauma, anxiety, depression and neurodivergence. 03:30 — When anxiety has no obvious cause 04:26 — How early experiences shape the nervous system 06:36 — Why therapy often revisits childhood 08:08 — Regulation and nervous system safety 09:51 — Introduction to attachment theory 11:40 — Therapy demonstration begins 13:34 — Exploring early attachment experiences 16:02 — How infants adapt for survival 18:27 — Family dynamics and emotional safety 20:30 — Grieving unmet childhood needs 23:02 — Meeting the younger self in therapy 25:05 — Reparenting and compassion 28:04 — The role of the therapist 31:03 — Why attunement matters 33:41 — Cognitive insight vs embodied healing 36:00 — The courage required for therapy 40:29 — Collaboration in the therapeutic relationship 44:04 — Repairing relational ruptures 48:07 — How healing changes everyday behaviour 50:40 — Parenting after doing personal therapy 54:41 — Secure attachment explained 57:21 — Avoidant attachment 1:01:00 — Disorganised attachment 1:04:34 — Are attachment styles problems? 1:06:32 — Can relationships work without secure attachment? 1:08:49 — Navigating relationships with avoidant partners 1:12:01 — From conflict to co-regulation 1:14:05 — Closing reflections

In this episode of The Right Therapist, couples counsellor Gillian Fernandes explores why relationships so often feel unsafe, confusing, or lonely — even when there is love present. Drawing on attachment theory, somatic therapy, and systems thinking, Gillian explains how couples often get stuck not because of communication skills, but because of unspoken attachment needs, nervous system responses, and unresolved relational history.

In this episode of The Right Therapist, Laura is joined by Gestalt psychotherapist and EMDR therapist Sheridan Green to explore relationships through a Gestalt lens. Together, they unpack a powerful framework: that every relationship contains three relationships — the relationship with self, the other’s relationship with self, and the shared relationship, the we.Drawing on Gestalt therapy, existential thought, and lived clinical experience, Sheridan reflects on how identity shifts, parenthood, neurodivergence, and unresolved childhood patterns shape intimacy. They explore why conflict is rarely just about what’s happening now, how defensiveness and withdrawal can signal unfinished inner work, and what it means to turn toward each other instead of away when things get hard.The conversation also includes a live Gestalt therapy segment, offering a rare, embodied look at vulnerability, self-protection, and the “armour” we build to survive — and how that armour can quietly limit closeness.This episode is for anyone curious about relationships as living systems, not static achievements — and for those wanting to relate with more awareness, responsibility, and choice.

Integrative psychotherapist Luke O’Higgins joins us to explore relational therapy, attachment, and parts work through a deeply human, present-moment approach. Drawing from Gestalt therapy, somatic-informed practice, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and attachment repair, Luke works with adults and young people to create new relational experiences — not just insight.

In this episode, Laura is joined by somatic therapist Fiona Bell to explore anger, rage, and what happens when these vital energies are suppressed. Through a nervous-system lens, they unpack how anxiety, chronic symptoms, and collapse often arise from unexpressed anger and how healing happens through safe connection, co-regulation, and embodied presence. Together they reframe rage as life force, boundary, and protection, revealing why being met, not fixed, restores wholeness and choice.

In this episode we explore what it means to truly grow up, wake up, and re-soul our world. Blending Eastern philosophy with Western psychotherapy, we unpack attachment repair, imagination as a healing force, eco-therapy, masculinity, leadership, and belonging. The episode features a live therapy demonstration of the Ideal Parent Figure Protocol, offering a felt sense of how embodied attachment work supports earned security, identity, and connection—to self, community, and the natural world.

In this episode of The Right Therapist, we dive into how trauma shapes the body and mind, why evidence-based approaches like EMDR and somatic therapy help clients heal, and how to find a psychologist or counsellor who’s the right fit through Source — Australia’s trusted platform for therapy, counselling, and mental health support.

Integrative psychotherapist Ange Cook joins The Right Therapist to explore what it means to work in a trauma-informed, embodied, and inclusive way. We discuss how curiosity, language, and body awareness shape therapy, and how integrative psychotherapy supports diverse clients—including LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent individuals. Ange unpacks the connection between mind and body, parts work, somatic regulation, and curiosity as a healing stance, as well as the challenges of unmasking neurodivergence in a neurotypical world. We close with reflections on post-cult recovery, identity, and self-compassion, and how therapy helps people rediscover their authentic voice. Listeners will come away understanding how integrative and trauma-informed therapy can expand self-awareness, agency, and emotional safety.

A deeply human conversation with Louise, a compassionate Gestalt psychotherapist, on why change sticks when we stop fighting ourselves, how empty chair work unlocks insight, what “rupture & repair” feels like in the therapy room, and how to know if Gestalt therapy is right for you. We also demo a short session on “the shoulds” (professionalism, organisation, shame → creativity), showing how embodied awareness creates relief. If you’re looking for a therapist in Australia (online or in-person), Source helps you compare therapy types, budgets, locations and Medicare options.

Gestalt psychotherapist Angus Ferguson joins us to explore addiction through a trauma-informed, attachment-centred lens—why addictions develop, what lies underneath them, and why recovery requires connection, compassion, and support rather than shame.We unpack childhood trauma, ACE scores, attachment wounds, small-t trauma, the role of the reticular activating system, and why humans bond with substances and behaviours when they lack safe people to bond with. Angus explains why addiction is not a “choice,” why people often wait 12 years to seek help, and why healing is relational, not solitary.We also talk through groups, community, social prescribing, AA/NA/GA, self-exclusion tools, harm minimisation, and the emotional reality of relapse. Angus ends with practical steps anyone can take, including hotlines, therapy, and widening your support network—plus how to find the right addiction-informed therapist in Australia via Source.

Counsellor & psychotherapist Giorgia des Landes joins us to unpack complex trauma, how it shapes development and relationships, and why bottom-up somatic therapies (somatic experiencing, sensory-motor psychotherapy, EMDR) help the autonomic nervous system feel safe again. We explore the three-phase model of trauma therapy (safety & stabilization → processing → integration/post-traumatic growth), window of tolerance, attachment, rupture & repair, and practical ways therapy widens capacity for life. We close with how to find the right trauma-informed therapist in Australia via Source (filters for modality, fee, Medicare, online/in-person, location).

Gestalt therapist, writer, and faculty member Dr Rhys Price-Robertson joins The Right Therapist to explore how awareness, embodiment, and Zen-inspired non-doing can transform the therapeutic encounter. Rhys reflects on the paradoxical theory of change—that we change not by striving to be different, but by becoming more fully who we already are.This rich conversation traverses the meeting point between psychotherapy and spirituality, the tension between will and grace, and the counter-cultural invitation to stop improving and start being. Laura and Rhys also explore how therapy grounded in presence and inclusivity creates space for authentic contact, spontaneity, and aliveness.Listeners will leave with a deeper understanding of Gestalt therapy, mindfulness in psychotherapy, and the liberating power of awareness.