In this episode of Sage in Time, we meet Martha, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, credentialed member and an approved education provider of AASECT, and the owner of the Institute for Relational Intimacy. AASECT is the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.

Martha and I spoke about her 15 week flagship course (26.5 CEs) to train therapists in the Assessment and Treatment of Sexual Issues in Psychotherapy - this is for sex therapists and those who do not specialize in sex therapy. We also spoke of her vast and varied career and how she found herself focusing on Sex Therapy as a career, and choosing to share her knowledge with other providers.

During the introduction, I mentioned Martha's book titled Polyamory, which comes in both print and audiobook format, both available through Amazon, and both containing handouts/worksheets, the Audible version offering these through the website to print from home. She also kindly offers 8 Steps to Opening Up, a free guide to navigating those discussions within your own relationships.

Disclaimer: None of this content is deemed to be clinical or therapeutic in any way, and is strictly offered for educational and entertainment purposes.

If you live in New York or Pennsylvania, or know someone who does, and might be interested in learning more about working with me in the context of mental health therapy, check out my profile on PsychologyToday.com or at the Sage in Time website. Unfortunately, I am not able to accept any Managed Medicare or Medicaid, regardless of the branding.

I am a sex-positive mental health counselor who specializes in griefwork and working within the space of non-traditional lifestyles, offering services to individuals, couples, families, other systems of multiple individuals.

A special thank you to Melissa Reagan for providing the voice talent over the episode theme music.

In this episode, Derek is joined by his friend and former colleague, Beccy. Beccy shares some of her story growing up on a farm in the 80s and 90s, and how she dreamed of being a mother and supporter of her children, along with offering a safe place to the friends of her children. Additionally, she opens up about part of her journey that led her to a career path similar to Derek's own, but much sooner in her life.

She and Derek offer similar approaches to therapy in an effort to, ultimately, see their clients successful and confident in their own self-sufficiency to live healthier lives after therapy than before, regardless of the previous chapters written so far.

If you live in New York or Pennsylvania, or know someone who does, and might be interested in learning more about working with me in the context of mental health therapy, check out my profile on PsychologyToday.com or at the Sage in Time website. Unfortunately, I am not able to accept any Managed Medicare or Medicaid, regardless of the branding.

I am a sex-positive mental health counselor who specializes in griefwork and working within the space of non-traditional lifestyles, offering services to individuals, couples, families, other systems of multiple individuals.

A special thank you to Melissa Reagan for providing the voice talent over the episode theme music.

In this episode of Sage in Time, we meet Darcey, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and one of Derek’s former colleagues. Our time with clients had ended for the day and we decided to simply catch up on various topics that affect a variety of our current and potential clients. We moved quickly through the topics of:

substance abuse credentials
telemed vs. in-office or “shared space” therapy
why we both opted to increase our licensure to multiple states
working with teens and younger children
college preparation in modern times
building and maintaining social support networks as adults
and how we keep up with what’s new in the world of offering the best care to our clients.

We also revisited the topic of what therapy might look like when you have a therapist that is a good “fit” for your treatment needs.

We've already decided we'll be chatting again from time to time. Subscribe to keep up with Darcey or any of my guests.

If you live in New York or Pennsylvania, or know someone who does, and might be interested in learning more about working with me in the context of mental health therapy, check out my profile on PsychologyToday.com or at the Sage in Time website. Unfortunately, I am not able to accept any Managed Medicare or Medicaid, regardless of the branding.

I am a sex-positive mental health counselor who specializes in griefwork and working within the space of non-traditional lifestyles, offering services to individuals, couples, families, other systems of multiple individuals.

A special thank you to Melissa Reagan for providing the voice talent over the episode theme music.

In this episode, Derek meets with Tyr, an educator and fire service / medical professional who is supported and supportive of Canine Companions, a charitable organization that provides service animals at no cost to the recipients. Tyr is served by Zeus and has been for most of Zeus's life.

Tyr shares, not so much the traumatic stories of serving in the capacity of fire and medic, but stories of hope and victory, including rallying up equipment and personnel to travel from Orlando to Ground Zero in lower Manhattan in the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001.

Finally, Tyr graces Derek and listeners with tales of her dear relationship with her father, fond tales of shared interests.

If you live in New York or Pennsylvania, or know someone who does, and might be interested in learning more about working with me in the context of mental health therapy, check out my profile on PsychologyToday.com or at the Sage in Time website. Unfortunately, I am not able to accept any Managed Medicare or Medicaid, regardless of the branding.

I am a sex-positive mental health counselor who specializes in griefwork and working within the space of non-traditional lifestyles, offering services to individuals, couples, families, other systems of multiple individuals.

A special thank you to Melissa Reagan for providing the voice talent over the episode theme music.

Derek takes another stab at taking questions from listeners. This time, he addresses Emotional Support Animals, including how he supports clients and their Emotional Support Animals, detailing advice from the American Counseling Association as to how to protect the animal and the client/handler. This is a more significant request than any "ESA Letter Mill" will communicate for a nominal fee online. We want to be responsible and communicate well for your safety and the animal's.

Derek also answers the common request as to if he is permitted or has time to provide therapy to someone who finds him on social media through a group or page. Following up on that is how to find a therapist, in different jurisdictions, as well as how to property vet/select a provider for what may be a 3 month to decade-long therapeutic relationship. He also addresses how to terminate a therapeutic relationship with a provider; it can be really emotionally taxing, particularly for someone who might be experiencing the trauma response of "fawn" (associated with people pleasing).

I, as a therapist, serve my clients. They don't work for me.

If you live in New York or Pennsylvania, or know someone who does, and might be interested in learning more about working with me in the context of mental health therapy, check out my profile on PsychologyToday.com or at the Sage in Time website. Unfortunately, I am not able to accept any Managed Medicare or Medicaid, regardless of the branding.

I am a sex-positive mental health counselor who specializes in griefwork and working within the space of non-traditional lifestyles, offering services to individuals, couples, families, other systems of multiple individuals.

A special thank you to Melissa Reagan for providing the voice talent over the episode theme music.

In this episode, Derek is joined by San Francisco transplant turned local educator within Kink / BDSM. Ev Lokidottir is a trauma survivor, kink/BDSM and Negotiation educator, and a chronic volunteer when it comes to supporting her community and friends. She openly shares some of her experiences when it comes to that support, including some of her own significantly traumatic events, opting, rather than hiding, to share in the hopes that her words might help others find hope and healing.

If you live in New York or Pennsylvania, or know someone who does, and might be interested in learning more about working with me in the context of mental health therapy, check out my profile on PsychologyToday.com or at the Sage in Time website. Unfortunately, I am not able to accept any Managed Medicare or Medicaid, regardless of the branding.

I am a sex-positive mental health counselor who specializes in griefwork and working within the space of non-traditional lifestyles, offering services to individuals, couples, families, other systems of multiple individuals.

A special thank you to Melissa Reagan for providing the voice talent over the episode theme music.

In this episode, Derek is joined by his VR workout friend, Chérie, and her son Anthony, as they both share their own different experiences with the same diagnosis. Anthony shares his experience as the oldest of Chérie's children in caring for his siblings during Chérie's early years with her mental health journey. Chérie accepts Anthony's recollection of experiences and his feelings about his experiences and Anthony shares empathy with his mother in a way that he, as an adult with Bipolar is more cognitively and emotionally familiar with. They dialogue throughout the episode and even ask each other questions to gain better understanding and offer compassion to each other - and the listeners and I get to experience the love they share for each other. Check out their podcast at Apple Podcasts or Spotify Podcasts among others.

If you live in New York or Pennsylvania, or know someone who does, and might be interested in learning more about working with me in the context of mental health therapy, check out my profile on PsychologyToday.com or at the Sage in Time website. Unfortunately, I am not able to accept any Managed Medicare or Medicaid, regardless of the branding.

I am a sex-positive mental health counselor who specializes in griefwork and working within the space of non-traditional lifestyles, offering services to individuals, couples, families, other systems of multiple individuals.

A special thank you to Melissa Reagan for providing the voice talent over the episode theme music.

This episode concludes our time with Debs, the Kink Shrink, and a varied discussion on intergenerational trauma (and healing!), the way some psychotherapy might gain for the client but challenge a relationship, the importance of seeking similarities within community for social healing and change as opposed to the damage caused by focusing on differences. We also explore the ways in which language and nuance is important for clarity in vision within even microsocieties as we learn to share our own experiences for connection.

If you live in New York or Pennsylvania, or know someone who does, and might be interested in learning more about working with me in the context of mental health therapy, check out my profile on PsychologyToday.com or at the Sage in Time website. Unfortunately, I am not able to accept any Managed Medicare or Medicaid, regardless of the branding.

I am a sex-positive mental health counselor who specializes in griefwork and working within the space of non-traditional lifestyles, offering services to individuals, couples, families, other systems of multiple individuals.

A special thank you to Melissa Reagan for providing the voice talent over the episode theme music.