Don't Get A Therapist... Yet!

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Sherry Van Dyke, psychotherapist, EMDR clinician and consultant, and author of the DBT Workbook for CPTSD, who has spent over 22 years working with adults navigating the long-term consequences of trauma, and has trained clinicians in DBT and EMDR across the world.The episode opens with something genuinely clarifying: a plain-language explanation of the difference between PTSD and complex PTSD, including why a CPTSD diagnosis can be so hard to obtain in some countries, and why people are so often misdiagnosed with borderline personality disorder or bipolar disorder when the real picture is developmental trauma. If you or someone you care about has ever felt that a diagnosis didn't quite fit, this section alone is worth listening to.From there, the conversation builds into one of the most thorough and accessible explanations of dialectical behaviour therapy and why it is so well suited to complex trauma. Sherry describes DBT as CBT on steroids, and unpacks all four of its modules, core mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and emotion regulation, explaining not just what each one does but how they work together for someone whose nervous system has been primed by years of unsafe or unpredictable experiences.There is a particularly valuable section on dissociation, a topic that Sherry argues Western medicine has largely dissociated from itself. She covers the difference between depersonalisation and derealisation, explains why dissociation is a survival mechanism rather than a disorder, and describes the practical, collaborative tools she uses to help clients recognise their early warning signs and find their way back to the present moment.The episode also covers the tri-phasic model of complex trauma treatment, the three stages of safety and stabilisation, trauma processing, and integrated functioning, and how DBT weaves through all of them, including the assertiveness and boundary-setting work that often becomes possible only after the deeper processing is done.Sherry's book, the DBT Workbook for CPTSD, is designed for both clients and clinicians, and is available on Amazon and via New Harbinger Publications. More information, including contact details, at:👉 www.sherryvandyke.comTo learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:👉 https://wendycastelino.com/If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might benefit.

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Chris Whitehead-Baines, UK-based psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and founder of The Skool Trauma Hub, who has been working with complex trauma, PTSD and CPTSD since 2009. Chris brings both professional expertise and nearly 30 years of his own lived experience of trauma and recovery to a conversation that covers one of the most underused and underexplained tools in trauma healing: imagery.The episode opens with a story from Chris's childhood, growing up in a domestic violence environment, where he would paint and draw as a way of externalising what he could not yet say, then walk to the postbox and send his paintings away addressed to no one. He only understood years later, in his own therapy, that he had been instinctively doing something deeply therapeutic. It is a quietly remarkable way to begin a conversation about why imagery reaches places that words sometimes cannot.The conversation covers what therapeutic imagery actually means, which is far broader than visualisation or closing your eyes and picturing something. It includes memories, metaphors, drawings, colours, dreams, bodily sensations and imagined places. Chris explains how imagery weaves through every modality he works with, from art psychotherapy and EMDR to psychodynamic therapy and CBT, and why trauma, which is stored in fragments of sensation and image rather than as a coherent verbal story, can often be reached more directly through a different kind of language altogether.There is a powerful section on how imagery helped a client shift an ingrained belief that nothing else had moved, as they began to look at themselves as a vulnerable child rather than judging themselves through adult eyes, and what happened when their adult self began to tend to that child through the work.Chris also introduces the concept of co-regulation, one of the most important and frequently overlooked elements of trauma recovery, and explains why safe community can be as healing as therapy itself. That belief sits at the heart of The Skool Trauma Hub, his global community bringing together people impacted by trauma, trauma-informed parents and trauma professionals.The episode closes with a simple, safe imagery exercise anyone can try today, no closed eyes required.To find out more about Chris's private practice, visit:👉 https://www.virtualtraumatherapy.comTo join The Skool Trauma Hub community:👉 https://www.skool.com/the-skool-trauma-hub/aboutFollow Chris on Instagram: @virtualtraumatherapyChris is also on Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube under Virtual Trauma Therapy.To learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:👉 https://wendycastelino.com/If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might benefit.

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Dr. Kira Mauseth, clinical psychologist, Teaching Professor at Seattle University, and founder of Astrum Health LLC, who has spent her career working with disaster survivors, refugees and first responders across the world. From the Lahaina wildfires to earthquake recovery in Haiti to refugee camps in Northern Jordan, she brings a rare combination of clinical expertise and extraordinary frontline experience to a conversation that is far more relevant to everyday life than the word "disaster" might suggest.The episode opens with two concepts that reframe how we understand stress and crisis. The disaster cycle describes the ongoing loop of preparedness, response and recovery that individuals and communities move through after any significant event. A disaster cascade is what happens when a second or third crisis hits before the first one has been processed, and as Dr. Mauseth explains, the mental health consequences of that compound exposure are significant, measurable and deeply underestimated.At the centre of the episode is a clear, practical explanation of what prolonged stress actually does to the brain and body, including the cognitive symptoms of brain fog, poor memory and difficulty concentrating that many people experienced during and after the pandemic, and wrongly attributed to something more serious. Dr. Mauseth explains the role of cortisol, why the present moment is the single most powerful place to bring the nervous system back to, and what practical techniques, from the engagement of awe to sensory grounding, and her favourite tool of all, a frozen orange, can reduce stress hormones quickly.She also outlines the four ingredients of individual human resilience: connection, adaptability, hope and purpose, each mapped to a part of a tree in a framework that is easy to remember and genuinely useful for self-assessment. The distinction she draws between hope and optimism is one of the most clarifying things in this conversation. Optimism is everything will be fine. Hope is tougher and more honest than that. It is about finding the third door when the first two are closed.The episode closes with the concept of purpose after crisis, illustrated by two stories from her disaster work, a grandfather in Haiti and a Syrian surgeon selling gum in a refugee camp, that are among the most quietly powerful things to have appeared on this podcast.To find out more about Dr. Mauseth's work, visit:👉 https://www.astrumhealthllc.orgFor information on the Health Support Team disaster curriculum and community training:👉 https://www.healthsupportteam.orgConnect with Dr. Mauseth on LinkedIn:👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kira-mauseth-ph-d/To learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:👉 https://wendycastelino.com/If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might benefit.

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Dr. Andrea Vassilev, clinician, academic, award-winning advocate and author of Beyond the Bipolar Label, who has lived with bipolar disorder for nearly 30 years. What makes this conversation different is that Dr. Vassilev brings both clinical expertise and genuinely lived experience to the table, and she is refreshingly honest about both.Bipolar is one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed mental health conditions there is. It is frequently missed because people present with depression, not mania. It is cyclical, which means people can appear fine between episodes, and then be blindsided when the next one arrives. And it carries a level of social stigma that can quietly make the condition itself worse, because when the shame of having bipolar becomes layered on top of the condition, the research shows it leads to lower self-esteem, reduced likelihood of seeking help and, in bipolar specifically, increased thoughts of suicide and worse depressive outcomes.That layering of shame is what Dr. Vassilev's book addresses directly. The conversation covers what self-stigma actually is, how it forms through internalising stereotypes and through globalising difficult experiences into fixed beliefs about who you are, and what it takes to start reframing the narrative. Dr. Vassilev also talks about identity, why a diagnosis can feel all-consuming, and why that is understandable but not the full picture of who someone is.There is also an honest thread running through the whole episode about what living with bipolar actually looks like over a lifetime, including the 10 years Dr. Vassilev lost being seriously unwell, the ECT treatments, the careers that ended, and the milestones that were delayed. She is clear that she does not want her current success to inadvertently discourage anyone, and that honesty is one of the most valuable things in this conversation.Practical ground covered includes who to tell about a diagnosis and how to think through that decision, how bipolar affects relationships and employment, the two biggest myths about the condition, and what Dr. Vassilev would say to someone who has just been diagnosed and is sitting in her virtual office for the first time.Dr. Vassilev's book Beyond the Bipolar Label is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold:👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyond-Bipolar-Label-Self-Stigma-Authentically-ebook/dp/B0FLPVJHKW/A free disclosure decision tool and additional resources are available via the publisher's website at:👉 https://www.newharbinger.comTo find out more about Dr. Vassilev's work, visit:👉 https://www.andreavassilev.comOr follow her on Instagram: @best.life.bipolarTo learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:👉 https://wendycastelino.com/If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might benefit.

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Cathy Himlin, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional clinical counsellor, and author of The Rejected Parent: Rebuild Your Relationship with Your Child During and After a Divorce or Custody Dispute, who has spent 30 years working with children and families in high conflict family law cases.If you are a parent who has lost contact with your child, or who feels that contact is slipping away, this episode speaks directly to that pain. Cathy describes the grief of having a living child who won't see you as one of the most complicated and underrecognised forms of loss there is, because unlike bereavement, there is no clear end, only the persistent question of how to get back to your child.The conversation covers what parental alienation actually means and why it is far more nuanced than the term suggests, including the parents who contribute to it without ever intending to. Cathy explains why children take sides, how even very young children absorb the tension between parents in ways that cause real physiological stress, and why the instinct to push harder, explain more, or argue the facts with a child almost always makes things worse.There is also a deeply practical thread throughout. Cathy shares what early warning signs to watch for before rejection becomes entrenched, how to use the EFFT model to validate a child's emotions and start repairing the attachment rupture, and what to do when the door is fully closed, including why keeping duplicates of every letter, card and gift you send could matter more than you think.For parents who haven't seen their child in months or years, the episode also addresses what reconciliation can realistically look like, why the late teens and early twenties are often a turning point, and how to hold hope without losing yourself in the process.Cathy's book The Rejected Parent is available here:👉 https://www.amazon.com/Rejected-Parent-Rebuild-Relationship-Divorce/dp/164848719X/To get in touch with Cathy, access her parenting support programmes or find out about her work with attorneys and therapists, visit:👉 https://www.himlinconsulting.com/aboutTo learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:👉 https://wendycastelino.com/If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might benefit.

Artificial intelligence is changing fast, and a lot of people are already using it to help manage their mental health. Some of that is genuinely useful. Some of it isn't. And some of it can actually make things worse.In this episode, Wendy cuts through the noise with a clear, honest framework: 10 ways AI can legitimately support your mental health, and 7 ways she would not recommend using it.On the useful side, AI can help you challenge a distorted thought using CBT principles, turn a worry spiral into a practical problem-solving plan, build a graded exposure hierarchy, develop a more compassionate inner voice, organise your worries into what's actionable and what isn't, clarify your values, learn emotional regulation skills in the moment, and prepare for therapy so you get far more out of it. Used well, AI is a thinking partner, a worksheet generator, a prompt for reflection and a reminder of skills you already know.But there are places where it shouldn't go. Diagnosing yourself. Managing a crisis. Conducting unsupervised trauma processing. Making medication decisions. And perhaps most importantly, using it as a reassurance machine, which is particularly relevant for anyone who struggles with health anxiety or OCD, because the temporary relief it provides can quietly make the underlying anxiety worse.The principle running through all of it is straightforward: fluent doesn't necessarily mean factual. And a tool is not the same as a relationship.Wendy also shares five practical AI prompts you can use straight away, covering thought challenging, problem solving, self-compassion, tolerating uncertainty, and preparing for therapy.To learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:👉 https://wendycastelino.com/If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might benefit.

If your mind replays conversations long after they've ended, spends hours imagining everything that could go wrong, or analyses a decision so thoroughly that you end up more confused than when you started, this episode is for you.Overthinking often feels productive. It feels as though if you just think about it for long enough, you will finally reach certainty or find the perfect answer. But the loop doesn't deliver certainty. It delivers more questions, more anxiety, and less sleep.In this episode, Wendy explores what overthinking actually is, why the brain does it, and how nature, nurture and our environment all play a role. She covers the difference between worry and rumination, why modern life feeds both, and how the brain's ancient threat detection system ends up treating an unanswered text as seriously as a physical danger.Then come 20 practical, evidence-based strategies drawn from CBT, ACT, compassion-focused therapy, DBT, mindfulness and internal family systems. You don't need to use all 20. The invitation is to listen for the 2 or 3 that speak to you, and practise those consistently, because psychological strategies work like physical exercise. The benefit comes from repetition, not from reaching for them once in a crisis.The episode ends with a short guided exercise you can try right now.To learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:👉 https://wendycastelino.com/If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone whose mind rarely gives them a moment's peace.

If you have ever felt out of control around certain foods, eaten past the point of fullness, or promised yourself you would stop and then found you simply couldn't, this episode will help you understand why. And more importantly, it will help you stop blaming yourself for it.In this episode, Wendy is joined by Dr Claire Wilcox, board-certified psychiatrist and addiction psychiatrist, neuroscience researcher, and author of Rewire Your Food-Addicted Brain: Fight Cravings and Break Free from a High-Sugar Ultra-Processed Diet Using Neuroscience. Dr Wilcox brings both the research and lived personal experience to a conversation that covers more ground than most books on the subject.The episode unpacks what food addiction actually is, how it differs from and overlaps with binge eating disorder and obesity, and why certain foods trigger the same brain circuitry as alcohol and other substances. Dr Wilcox explains the three brain networks most affected by addiction, the role dopamine plays in cravings, memory and learning, and why ultra-processed foods are specifically engineered to override the brain's fullness signals and keep you eating.There is also a frank and compassionate discussion about shame, why it makes recovery harder rather than easier, and why the single most important myth to unlearn is that this is a personal failing. The food industry has deliberately designed products to hook the brain. That is not your fault. It is biology.The practical part of the conversation covers what rewiring the brain actually looks like day to day, from stabilising food chemistry and building adequate nutrition back in, to sleep, physical exercise, community and mindfulness as evidence-backed tools for recovery. Dr Wilcox also shares her take on GLP-1 medications, why she sees them as a bridge rather than a solution, and what tends to go wrong when the behavioural piece is left out entirely.Dr Wilcox's book is available on Amazon:👉 https://www.amazon.com/Rewire-Your-Food-Addicted-Brain-Ultra-Processed/dp/1648484689More information, social links and further resources at:👉 https://www.wilcoxmd.comTo learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:👉 https://wendycastelino.com/If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might benefit.