Both Sides of the Couch

Episode 15: Why I Don’t Offer Free Consultation Calls (and Why That’s Ethical)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550301/fan_mail/new] In this episode, I explain why I don’t offer free consultation calls and why that decision is grounded in ethics, safety, and respect for therapeutic labor. I unpack the myth of the “quick 15-minute call,” why it almost always turns into unpaid therapy adjacent work, and the very real risks of engaging in clinical conversations without informed consent. I talk openly about mandated reporting concerns, client safety, sexual harassment in the therapy room, and why structure and intake paperwork aren’t cold or rigid; they’re protective. I also challenge the idea that something being “standard practice” makes it ethical, especially in a profession where unpaid emotional labor (particularly from women) is deeply normalized. This episode is a candid look at boundaries, burnout, transparency, chronic illness, and why the intake session is the consultation just done ethically, thoroughly, and with consent. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550301/support] Thanks for listening to Both Sides of the Couch! If something you heard today resonated, share the episode or leave a review, it helps others find the show. Read more at bothsidesofthecouch.substack.com [https://www.bothsidesofthecouch.substack.com ]or karirusnakcounseling.com/bothsidesofthecouch [https://www.karirusnakcounseling.com/bothsidesofthecouch] Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/karirusnak [https:/www.buymeacoffee.com/karirusnak] I currently run off donations only, I pledge to only work with advertisers I can 100% support.

Episode 14: Chronic Illness, Emotional Labor, and the Friend No One Checks On

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550301/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Both Sides of the Couch, Kari reflects on a small, ordinary moment that sparked a much bigger realization about imbalance in relationships. Through the lens of a therapist, a chronically ill person, and a friend who often gives more than she receives, she explores what it feels like to be emotionally capable yet quietly unsupported. Kari unpacks how emotional competence is frequently mistaken for self-sufficiency, how chronic illness causes support to fade over time, and how helpers often become invisible in their own relationships. Drawing from personal experiences with grief, friendship, and long-term illness, she names a pattern many people feel but struggle to articulate: being strong doesn’t mean not needing care. This episode is for chronically ill listeners who feel forgotten, therapists and helpers who are quietly overgiving, and well-intentioned friends who care deeply but aren’t sure how to show up. With compassion rather than blame, Kari offers validation, insight, and gentle reframes for building more attuned, sustainable relationships. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550301/support] Thanks for listening to Both Sides of the Couch! If something you heard today resonated, share the episode or leave a review, it helps others find the show. Read more at bothsidesofthecouch.substack.com [https://www.bothsidesofthecouch.substack.com ]or karirusnakcounseling.com/bothsidesofthecouch [https://www.karirusnakcounseling.com/bothsidesofthecouch] Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/karirusnak [https:/www.buymeacoffee.com/karirusnak] I currently run off donations only, I pledge to only work with advertisers I can 100% support.

Small Thoughts Big Feelings: The $14,000 Question

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550301/fan_mail/new]  In this mini episode, Kari shares a funny moment about an HSA statement that turns into a reflection on invisible labor, chronic illness, and why some parts of life are hard to explain even to the people who love us.  For information on health savings accounts, check out these links: https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/health-savings-account-hsa/ [https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/health-savings-account-hsa/] https://www.healthcare.gov/high-deductible-health-plan/ [https://www.healthcare.gov/high-deductible-health-plan/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550301/support] Thanks for listening to Both Sides of the Couch! If something you heard today resonated, share the episode or leave a review, it helps others find the show. Read more at bothsidesofthecouch.substack.com [https://www.bothsidesofthecouch.substack.com ]or karirusnakcounseling.com/bothsidesofthecouch [https://www.karirusnakcounseling.com/bothsidesofthecouch] Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/karirusnak [https:/www.buymeacoffee.com/karirusnak] I currently run off donations only, I pledge to only work with advertisers I can 100% support.

Episode 13: When I Choose to Overdo It: Autonomy, Chronic Illness, and the Right to Decide

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550301/fan_mail/new] In Episode 13, Kari explores a deeply familiar tension for people living with chronic illness: being told “don’t overdo it.” While often well-intentioned, Kari explains how this phrase can feel controlling, dismissive, and painful, especially for people who already live with constant limitation and loss. This episode is not about ignoring consequences or denying the reality of chronic illness. Instead, Kari centers choice and autonomy, emphasizing that chronically ill adults still have the right to decide how they use their bodies, even when those choices come with a cost. She challenges the idea that risk assessment belongs only to healthcare providers or loved ones, pointing out that everyone, ill or not, makes daily decisions that balance effort, desire, and consequence. Kari distinguishes between denial and intentional choice. Denial looks like ignoring limits and warning signs; intentional choice means understanding the risks, planning for them, and deciding that an experience, connection, or moment of normalcy is worth the recovery that may follow. She shares personal examples, painting a room, tending a garden, attending events, that highlight how quality of life can sometimes matter more than symptom minimization. The episode also explores the emotional layers beneath choosing to “overdo it”: anger at the unfairness of illness, grief for lost capacity, and even moments of rebellion as a way of reclaiming humanity. Kari normalizes these feelings while encouraging safe, thoughtful decision-making rather than high-risk behavior. Practical strategies are woven throughout, including planning rest before and after activities, adjusting hydration or medication when appropriate, modifying events, accepting help without shame, and avoiding stacking multiple high-cost activities. Kari also offers scripts for responding to people who repeatedly warn or monitor, helping listeners protect their autonomy without escalating conflict. The episode closes with reassurance and permission: wanting a full life does not make someone reckless. Choosing joy is not denial; it’s human. Sometimes rest is the right choice. Sometimes the moment is. Both are allowed. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550301/support] Thanks for listening to Both Sides of the Couch! If something you heard today resonated, share the episode or leave a review, it helps others find the show. Read more at bothsidesofthecouch.substack.com [https://www.bothsidesofthecouch.substack.com ]or karirusnakcounseling.com/bothsidesofthecouch [https://www.karirusnakcounseling.com/bothsidesofthecouch] Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/karirusnak [https:/www.buymeacoffee.com/karirusnak] I currently run off donations only, I pledge to only work with advertisers I can 100% support.

Episode 12: The Therapy of Nature: How the Outdoors Supports Chronic Illness

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550301/fan_mail/new] In Episode 12, Kari explores the therapy of nature and how time outdoors can support people living with chronic illness, pain, fatigue, and nervous system dysregulation.  Kari begins the episode by reflecting on a familiar moment in nature, using sensory details to model what it means to slow down and simply be present outdoors.  Kari reflects on how nature offers something rare in modern life: non-demanding, predictable sensory input. She explains why this can be especially regulating for chronically ill bodies and for people experiencing anxiety, depression, or emotional overwhelm. Nature, she says, doesn’t ask us to push, improve, or prove anything, it gives permission to exist as we are. The episode explores how nature supports the nervous system, including parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) activation, reduced stress hormones through visual exposure to greenery, and regulation of breathing and heart rate through natural sounds. Kari connects these effects to chronic pain, fatigue, migraines, and autonomic dysfunction, emphasizing that regulation—not exertion—is often what the body needs most. Kari reframes accessibility by expanding the definition of “nature time.” She reminds listeners that nature doesn’t have to mean hiking or physical activity. It can be a porch, houseplants, sunlight, bird sounds, or simply opening a window during a migraine. She emphasizes that passive exposure still counts and encourages listeners to let go of doing nature “the right way.” The episode also touches on the emotional healing that nature can offer, particularly during grief, sadness, anger, or frustration. Kari reflects on how nature helps people feel smaller in a comforting way, offering perspective, continuity, and a reminder that life moves in cycles without urgency. She shares her own journey of redefining her relationship with nature as chronic illness changed her physical capacity. Through sitting still, nature photography, and watercolor painting inspired by the outdoors, Kari discovered new ways to connect that felt even more therapeutic than the high-exertion activities she once loved. Kari closes with a gentle reminder: nature doesn’t cure chronic illness, but it can make living with it more bearable. Healing isn’t always forward motion, sometimes it’s settling, resting, and allowing yourself to be held by the world around you. Episode links: https://rosaliehaizlett.com/ https://rosaliehaizlett.com/collections/books Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550301/support] Thanks for listening to Both Sides of the Couch! If something you heard today resonated, share the episode or leave a review, it helps others find the show. Read more at bothsidesofthecouch.substack.com [https://www.bothsidesofthecouch.substack.com ]or karirusnakcounseling.com/bothsidesofthecouch [https://www.karirusnakcounseling.com/bothsidesofthecouch] Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/karirusnak [https:/www.buymeacoffee.com/karirusnak] I currently run off donations only, I pledge to only work with advertisers I can 100% support.