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
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.
Registration is now open for Thrivival Skills for Therapists, with your choice of formats! More info at the links below and special early bird savings until September 22, 2025:
Option 1: Fall 2025 Cohort *Save $100 with code: PYIYS100
Option 2: Independent Study *Save $50 with code: PYIYS50
Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
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
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.
