Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule
Self-care shouldn’t be another task on your to-do list! This is the show that helps you as a busy and dedicated female mental health therapist to redefine your approach to self-care. Because we need so much more than bubble baths and breathing exercises!
Hosted by Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen, clinical psychologists, founders of Intentional Therapist, and self-care advocates, our mission is to help you build a life where you thrive right alongside your clients, without guilt and without burning out. Join us as we explore practical strategies grounded in our 4 C’s model – Connection, Compassion, Courage, and Creativity – to help you create more space for yourself while continuing to support your clients.
Whether you work in a solo private practice, within a large organization, are a new grad, or are nearing retirement, this show has something for you. Tune in for short but valuable episodes filled with relatable and insightful new perspectives, actionable ‘self-care experiments’, and the encouragement and permission you need to put more of you back in your schedule and create a life from which you don’t need to escape.
To learn more about Intentional Therapist and our 4 C’s model of self-care, visit us at: www.intentionaltherapist.ca
[Please note: This podcast was previously called Thrivival 101, and you can continue to find our original interview episodes in this podcast feed.]
Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule
Intentional Time Off: A (Second) Conversation with Arianna Smith
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In this episode we reconnect with Arianna Smith, licensed professional counselor (LPC) and copywriting coach for therapists, to learn more about her 2-month sabbatical and her transition back to work. Arianna shares some of the challenges associated with planning and returning from a sabbatical, what she learned about herself as a person and a therapist, and how she’s used this information to reshape her work and personal life. She also shares some tips for how to make the most of a sabbatical and talks about other ways therapists can intentionally take breaks in meaningful ways. We end this episode, hearing about Arianna’s newest “non-conventional” self-care practices.
Highlights:
- The important difference between “time off” and a “sabbatical”
- Some of the challenges of planning for and returning from a sabbatical
- Steps Arianna took to maximize her time away from work
- What she learned about herself during her sabbatical
- How pre-planning/over-planning for your return can interfere with the process
- How her sabbatical helped her develop deeper connections
- Arianna’s favourite “non-conventional” self-care practice
Therapist by day, copywriter by night, Arianna Smith, LPC (she/her), helps therapists write words that sound like them and attract their ideal clients. Her mission is to help therapists shatter their creative blocks and write words brimming with punch + personality.
Connect with Arianna:
arianna@thecopycove.com
www.thecopycove.com
www.courageouscopywriting.com
www.facebook.com/thecopycove
Access Arianna's free training Banish Bad Copy: Masterclass for Therapists to help you up-level your copy. This is also the best way to find out more about her upcoming webinars and other offerings.
February is Psychology Month! Join us for a free webinar on Friday February 6, 2026. (Or catch the replay any time in February.) Register at: https://www.subscribepage.com/psychologymonth2026
Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/ | intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca | https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/
Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist
Ready to upgrade your self-care? Check out the independent study version of our course, Thrivival Skills for Therapists, and earn 3 CE credits! Because self-care is PART OF our jobs! More info at: https://intentional-therapist.newzenler.com/courses/thrivival-skills-for-therapists-independent-study
Disclaimer: This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.
