Edge of the Couch

Latest Episodes:

Working with Dissociation Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

For our Season 11 premiere, we discuss dissociation--the range of severity, how it shows up in session, and how we typically respond in our own practices. This is a big topic; it feels like we only scratched the surface. But if your education was anything like ours, dissociation was barely addressed, if at all. We hope this conversation can get you thinking about how you can better respond to it in your work.

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 connect@edgeofthecouch.com.
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

Ending Sessions on Time May 13, 2026

Show notes

We're currently on tour, but we are so excited to share this conversation with you! In this episode, we discuss all the interesting layers of this instagram reel by Jen Sims from The Redwood Center for Children & Families. As a trauma therapist herself, she decided to terminate therapy with her own therapist after the first session ran significantly over time. This sparked a huge conversation among therapists about what it means to end on time (or extend beyond the scheduled time.) People seem to feel strongly one way or another. We want to know: what do you think?

Edge of the Couch
www.edgeofthecouch.com
@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

The Role of Emotion in Therapy May 06, 2026

Show notes

Emotion is the heart of our work as therapists. They can be slippery and elusive, hard to access, scary to tap into and feel fully. There are countless frameworks for understanding emotion, and in this episode we talk about how we personally conceptualize these phenomena.

Edge of the Couch
www.edgeofthecouch.com
@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

How to Avoid Being Harmful on Social Media Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

Even though we discussed being a therapist on social media fairly recently, we thought it was important to talk about it again because a therapist with a huge following (therapyjeff) posted things that were objectively harmful, intentionally or not, in recent weeks. It ignited a larger conversation across platforms about best practices for therapists on social media, because it's a good reminder: we can do actual harm, and it's important we take this risk seriously. But how? In this episode, we talk about our own evolving relationships with social media and how we thoughtfully show up to, hopefully, be a net good for the people who listen to our podcast, watch our videos, and read our writing. We'd love to know how you show up on social media as a therapist (or why you specifically avoid it.)

Edge of the Couch
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@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Has a Client Ever Hurt Your Feelings? Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

You guessed it-- we saw something online this week that got us thinking. This time, it was a reel where a therapist claimed that clients cannot hurt her feelings. But... of course they can...? We're human, after all. But knowing when to process our emotional response directly with clients and when to let it lie and process it elsewhere is worth deeper reflection. Has a client ever hurt your feelings? What did you do about it?

Edge of the Couch
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@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Confrontation is a Key Part of the Job Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

This episode is all about confrontation, challenging, 'calling in'. We talk about how gentle confrontation is an essential part of our work as therapists. We believe it is ultimately a disservice to clients to avoid challenging their thoughts, beliefs, or patterns. The tricky question is when and how to confront people in therapy. It's so scary when you're new! What is the hardest part for you when it comes to (gently!) challenging clients?

Edge of the Couch
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@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

If You Want a Village, You Have to be a Villager Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we talk about how this phenomenon shows up in the therapy room. Some clients feel their asking for help is burdensome to their friends, so they keep to themselves, even when they want to develop deeper relationships. Some people are discarding friendships for seemingly innocuous mistakes. This idea that we 'don't owe anyone anything' is costing us connection. As therapists, we can support these folks to approach their relationships in alignment with the kind of relationships they want to cultivate, rather than from a place of blame. So what do you think? Have some people taken the recent social messaging about boundary-setting too far?

Edge of the Couch
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@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

PATREON PREVIEW: Therapist Red Flags Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

This week, we wanted to give you a peek into what our content on Patreon looks like. Breaking with our usual format, we are a little looser, a little more personal, a little more controversial. So, if you want to join us over there, go to patreon.com/edgeofthecouch. We have over 120 bonus episodes of speaking off-the-cuff, with no notes, no ads, no edits.

We also want to give our deep thanks to our patrons. Without your support, we would not be going on tour, period. Times are tough, so for you to use some of your hard-earned money to help sustain our work means so, so much.

Edge of the Couch
www.edgeofthecouch.com
@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Therapists as Wet Blankets Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we talk about how therapists can be humourless, anti-love, bubble-bursters. Not really... but maybe a little bit? We believe being the wet blanket is actually an important part of our jobs as therapists. We see when humour is being used as a defence mechanism. We spot love-bombing and other red flags. Exactly how we bring those observations to the client, that's more delicate work. How do we help clients see the full landscape of a situation rather than one angle of it? And when might we be overusing our power to make clients see 'reality'?

Edge of the Couch
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@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Touching in Therapy: A Relational Perspective Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

You probably heard this in grad school: "Never, ever touch your clients." But you know, for us, things are rarely black-and white. What about high fives? What about comforting touch? Hugs at termination? The conversation about using physical touch in therapy usually centres around liability and the 'slippery slope' to abusing our clients. While those are essential considerations to this topic, we are taking a different focus: the impact on the client and the therapeutic relationship. Our perspective might surprise you...

Edge of the Couch
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@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram