Thoughtfully Us

In Episode 19, we’re joined by the incredible Katie La who is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Supervisor, and advocate for trauma-informed, justice-oriented, and culturally responsive care.Katie shares what she’s loved most about being a therapist and reflects on how her lived experience as a Vietnamese refugee has shaped the way she shows up in the therapy room. We talk about the importance of centering immigrant communities in mental health spaces, embracing decolonized healing practices, and moving beyond individualism toward collective care.Katie also sheds light on the topics she believes the therapy community needs to be talking about more openly such as culturally grounded approaches to body-based modalities like EMDR, brainspotting, polyvagal-informed work, and somatic healing.And because we believe joy matters, especially in hard times, we close by asking Katie where she found a moment of joy this week.This episode is grounding, expansive, and a reminder that healing can be both personal and collective.Follow Katie on social media: @cogrevpllc

In this episode, we center Black History Month and reflect on what it has meant and continues to mean for Morgan and Maya as Black mental health providers.Morgan shares important context and statistics around Black representation in the mental health field, access to care, and the ongoing barriers Black communities face when seeking support. Together, we talk about what feels affirming and meaningful about Black History Month, as well as what often feels missing or overlooked, especially within wellness and mental health spaces.Nelly closes by expressing gratitude for Morgan and Maya’s openness, vulnerability, and the labor they carry in sharing these experiences. This conversation is a reminder that honoring Black history also means listening deeply to Black voices in the present.

This episode was meant to be a deep dive into the ins and outs of social work school but with everything unfolding in our country right now, it didn’t feel right to move forward as planned. Last week, we took a pause. This week, we’re sharing why.Instead of our original topic, we talk about what it has felt like to exist and work as women of color in a time when so many communities are facing fear, injustice, and uncertainty. We reflect on the emotional labor of holding space for others while being directly impacted ourselves, and the complex dynamics we’ve observed in how people show up. These are all things we faced during our time in social work school as well. This episode is about care, reflection, and acknowledgement.

In this episode, we continue our New York series by naming the parts of our experience that were heavy, isolating, and difficult to carry.We reflect on being people of color in a predominantly white graduate program, navigating classroom conversations about race, feeling pressure to educate others, and holding emotional labor that was never formally acknowledged. We talk about the discomfort, the exhaustion, and the moments that shaped how we understand ourselves and our work today.This conversation is rooted in honesty and reflection. We’re sharing our personal experiences and how they impacted us recognizing that these reflections are our own and don’t represent any institution, individual, or program as a whole.This episode is about naming what was hard, honoring what we survived, and creating space for conversations that are often left unspoken.*Disclaimer: We’re sharing our personal experiences from grad school. These reflections are our own and don’t represent any institution, individual, or program as a whole.

We’re kicking off the new year, and a brand-new series, by taking you back to where so much of our story began: New York City.In this episode, we reflect on starting graduate school together in NYC, what it was like to uproot our lives, and the parts of New York that felt exciting, energizing, and full of possibility. From the magic of the city to the sense of independence and community we found, this conversation is all about the highs of our New York era.We know we can sometimes be a little evasive when we talk about New York, so we’re intentionally starting here. This episode focuses on the joy, the growth, and the moments that made the city feel special, before we dive into the harder parts in the next episode.Think of this as the honeymoon phase with more to come.**NYC Series Disclaimer: We’re sharing our personal experiences from grad school. These reflections are our own and don’t represent any institution, individual, or program as a whole.

In the final episode of our Behind the Mic series, we shine the spotlight on Morgan — doctoral student, anxiety warrior, maternal mental health advocate, and the host who always keeps us laughing even in the deep moments.Morgan takes us inside her doctoral journey in Counselor Education & Supervision, including her upcoming dissertation centered on maternal mental health — a passion fueled by experience, advocacy, and community care. She also opens up about her own relationship with anxiety and the power of therapy and medication in helping her show up fully in her life and for her clients.We get to know Morgan outside of the therapy chair too — the lessons clients have taught her, the healing she’s actively doing, the comfort foods she could enjoy forever, and what alternate career she’d chase if she wasn’t in the mental health world.It’s personal, it’s inspiring, and it’s the perfect conclusion to this heartfelt series.

In the second episode of our Behind the Mic series, we turn the spotlight to Nelly — therapist, first-generation immigrant, first-time mom, and the founder of Healing Awaits.Nelly opens up about how her upbringing and life experiences shaped her therapeutic approach, especially her commitment to making every client feel truly seen and heard. She reflects on the pride she carries in starting her own private practice and how being a first-generation immigrant influences her work, her worldview, and the way she holds space for others.We also dive into her life outside the therapy room — from navigating postpartum realities to her deep Jersey-bred love for bagels and pizza, her alternative dream career, and of course, some silly stories about her.This episode is warm, honest, and full of heart — a true look into the person behind the mic.

In the first episode of our Behind the Mic series, we spotlight Maya and take a deep dive into who she is both inside and outside the therapy room. Maya shares the moment she felt affirmed in her career path during an undergraduate internship working within the eating disorder field, a specialty she continues to champion today as it evolves alongside societal pressures and digital culture.We explore Maya’s world beyond her clinical identity: her ideal day off, her love for pizza (which Morgan and Nelly strongly questioned), why she believes everything happens for a reason, what alternative career she’d choose if therapy wasn’t it, and of course, the star of her household — her dog, Landon.Authentic, warm, and full of laughter — this episode sets the tone for a series that brings you closer to the people behind the mic.

In this episode, we open up about the things you might not guess about us as therapists — like the fact that yes, we still get nervous, and no, we don’t always take our own advice. We also share a few fun personal surprises that only people who really know us would expect.It’s a lighthearted and honest conversation that gives you a peek behind the mic before we kick off our upcoming three-part get to know your hosts series.

This episode’s got layers. We start with a surprise moment that has us all emotional (you’ll know it when you hear it 👀), then open up about the challenges of fertility and the unseen emotional labor behind conception.From there, we switch gears into a thoughtful — and slightly skeptical — chat about AI’s growing presence in the mental health field: what excites us, what worries us, and what it could mean for therapy.And to close it out, we wrap things up with a little Halloween nostalgia, because balance is key. 🎃

In this episode, we’re talking about the reality of “spiral season” — when the days get shorter, the energy dips, and even therapists need a little extra support.We open up about our own mental health ups and downs, sharing how we prepare for and move through Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and low seasons. From sensory grounding to cozy holiday rituals (and Maya’s joyful rediscovery of apples), we talk about what helps us stay connected and cared for.We also unpack the growing challenges around mental health access — from policy changes and funding cuts to the real barriers people face when trying to get help — and share some trusted resources.Whether you’re thriving or just trying to keep it together right now, this one’s for you.

We started with The Summer I Turned Pretty finale and ended up unpacking the very real, very invisible labor therapists of color carry – especially in today’s political climate. In this episode, we talk about the emotional weight of helping clients navigate policies that harm them…while those same policies affect us, too. We share how hard it can be to hold space for others when your own hearts are heavy. We also dig into the added complexity of working with people whose values or beliefs may align with harmful systems. And, yes, we had some feelings about our grad school experiences – the microaggressions, the gaslighting, and the trauma we didn’t get warned about. This one’s real, raw, and necessary.

In this episode, we’re busting some of the biggest myths about therapy and therapists.We talk about the idea that therapists just “give advice” (spoiler: we don’t), the misconception that we analyze people all day, and the truth about what we actually do — and don’t do — in and out of sessions.We also name the harmful stereotypes around who therapy is for — especially the belief that it’s only for people in crisis or women. Mental health care should be accessible to everyone, and we’re here to challenge the stigma and rewrite the narrative.And yes, we had some thoughts about how therapy is portrayed on TV and in movies. Spoiler: it’s not always accurate.

Mental health is having a moment online — but not all of it is helpful.In this episode, we unpack the rise of pop psychology on social media. From mental health buzzwords like “gaslighting,” “narcissist,” and “boundaries” to self-diagnosis TikToks and therapist Instagram pages (yes, ours too), we talk about what we appreciate and what gives us pause.We share our own experiences navigating social media as therapists, the pressure to show up “authentically,” and the very real messiness behind it all.Also, Nelly and Maya lovingly roast Morgan for wanting to make TikToks for the pod… without understanding TikTok culture.It’s a mix of therapist perspective, internet chaos, and the honest conversations we’re all having behind the scenes.

In this episode, we're naming the things that we thought were just part of life – but turned out to be patterns, survival responses, or straight up unhelpful coping. From toxic positivity to anxiety that looked “normal”, we share the habits we’ve unlearned and the moments when therapy cracked something open for us. Nelly reflects on a powerful moment when Maya lovingly called her out, and Morgan reminds us that diagnoses don't always show up the way people expect them to.We also talk about how growth isn't always visible while it's happening… And yes, we're still confused about GenZ and their finger claps. (Also: If you’ve ever tried to speak while your friends are breaking into a duet… we see you.)

In this episode, we’re talking about the things we wish we could say in the therapy room but don’t, because… ethics. From wanting to say “Please just break up with them already” to wishing we could be a little more blunt about red flags, we get real about the moments when our inside voices are doing the most.We also talk about therapist self-disclosure, what it’s like to balance authenticity with professionalism, and why sometimes the most helpful thing is the thing left unsaid.

In this conversation, we explore the therapists we wish we had - and what we've learned about advocating for our needs in therapy spaces. We share what we wish we'd known when we started our own therapy journeys, the power of naming emotions, and the ways stigma can shape our willingness to seek help. We also own the truth that even as therapists, we can sometimes be avoidant in our own healing work. **Disclaimer: We're therapists, but this isn't therapy. This podcast is for informational purposes only. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapeutic relationship with any of the hosts.

In this episode, we open up about the emotional labor of being therapists during moments of collective trauma — like the pandemic — and the challenge of holding space for others while navigating our own grief, fear, and fatigue. We talk about what it means to be both healer and human in a world where societal decisions directly impact our clients and ourselves.We also reflect on how we care for ourselves (or try to), and share a moment of love and laughter when Morgan and Nelly gifted Maya their favorite water bottle — because hydration is a form of care, too.

We're so excited to finally share this with you! In this episode, you'll get to know us, hear how we became chosen family, and laugh along as we tell the story of how Nelly thought Morgan and Maya (identical twins) were actually the same person. We also share why we started this podcast and what you can expect in future episodes - honest conversations about mental health, identity, and the beautiful, messy parts of life.Listen now where you get your podcasts!