Connection Therapy

96. Assessing Readiness for Interventions by Listening to Voice Prosody

Brenda breaks down an experience most therapists have and reinforces their intuitions about what to do next. As she describes, when someone begins therapy in a state of hyper-alertness, it is important to know when their non-verbal cues signal that their social engagement system is active. Interventions are most effective when the client is in a nervous system state that enables social engagement, and Brenda explains how therapists can assess that via voice prosody, and she also shares the ways she supports this outcome during session. Attend a Course at Connection Therapy: https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events [https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events] We Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us [https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us] Leave feedback or ask a question with a message on Instagram: @theconnectiontherapypodcast [https://www.instagram.com/connectiontherapypodcast/] Enjoying the podcast? There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlist [https://connection-therapy.com/playlist] References: Bessel Van der Kolk (2015). The Body Keeps the Score.

95. Transitions and the Healing Power of Expression

In this episode, Brenda reminds listeners that transitions, particularly at the end of the school year, are difficult. She reviews information from experts, research, and her own experiences to consider how behaviors surrounding transitions can be interpreted and supported. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this episode delivers helpful information that is timely, relevant, and supportive for mental health practitioners, caregivers, and other professionals. Attend a Course at Connection Therapy: https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events [https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events] We Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us [https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us] Leave feedback or ask a question with a message on Instagram: @theconnectiontherapypodcast [https://www.instagram.com/connectiontherapypodcast/] Enjoying the podcast? There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlist [https://connection-therapy.com/playlist] References: J.W. Pennebaker (2012). Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions. Bessel Van der Kolk (2015). The Body Keeps the Score.

94. How Eye Contact Affects the Delivery of Telehealth Services

Good news! There is research, actually a lot of it, that supports therapists in understanding how best to deliver telehealth services. In this episode, Dr. Murrow reviews findings related to eye contact impacts on telehealth services. Brenda often does an episode about eye contact during Mental Health Awareness month each year, and this episode adds to that ongoing discussion. In this episode, she also integrates previous discussions about individual differences with regard to eye contact. Attend a Course at Connection Therapy: https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events [https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events] We Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us [https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us] Leave feedback or ask a question with a message on Instagram: @theconnectiontherapypodcast [https://www.instagram.com/connectiontherapypodcast/] Enjoying the podcast? There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlist [https://connection-therapy.com/playlist] References: Fitzpatrick, J. A., & Tickle, J. J. (2025). Eye contact matters: exploring its influence on interpersonal comfort and self-disclosure in virtual interactions. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 38(4), 617–635. https://doi-org.pgi.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/09515070.2024.2436964

93. Mental Health Awareness: Healing in Community

This year, for Mental Health Awareness, Brenda reviews current statistics for mental health in the US. To support clinicians with skillful interventions that are informed by research, she also shares how her practice is shaped by some research she participated in at an early training site that still resonates. She then invites mental health therapists themselves to consider being part of communities, as a way to deepen their skills and bolster their longevity in the field. Attend a Course at Connection Therapy: https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events [https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events] We Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us [https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us] Leave feedback or ask a question with a message on Instagram: @theconnectiontherapypodcast [https://www.instagram.com/connectiontherapypodcast/] Enjoying the podcast? There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlist [https://connection-therapy.com/playlist] References: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7226a2.htm National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) https://www.nami.org/ Stephen Porges (2011). Polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. Bessel Van der Kolk (2015). The Body Keeps the Score. Health Resources & Services Administration: https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas

92. Reading the Nervous System Through Facial Movement in Clinical Practice

Learning to improve assessment capacity is a continual journey for the practicing mental health practitioner. This episode provides a research article that endorses the clinician’s instincts and highlights ways that what is happening inside for our patient (i.e. nervous system activation, etc.) is displayed in facial movements. Brenda then adds a discussion of interventions she uses, and offers them for listeners to consider for applications in their own practices. References: Additional podcast episodes on heart rate variability: https://connection-therapy.com/playlist Rachael Draaisma’s discussion about Calming Signals are in Connection Therapy episodes 48, 49, and 50 Optimal HRV https://www.optimalhrv.com/ [https://www.optimalhrv.com/] Stephen Porges (2011). Polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. Torres EB and Elsayed M (2026) Facial micro-movements as a proxy of increasingly erratic heart rate variability while experiencing pressure pain. Front. Neurosci. 20:1702124. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2026.1702124 Attend a Course at Connection Therapy: https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events [https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events] We Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us [https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us] Leave feedback or ask a question with a message on Instagram: @theconnectiontherapypodcast [https://www.instagram.com/connectiontherapypodcast/] Enjoying the podcast? There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlist [https://connection-therapy.com/playlist]