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

Small Thoughts Big Feelings: It’s Not the Sound, It’s My Nervous System

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550301/fan_mail/new]  In this Small Thoughts, Big Feelings mini, Kari reflects on noise sensitivity. From vertigo triggered by sound to the sudden anger that comes with repeating yourself or speaking louder, this episode explores how sensory overload shows up in the body. 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 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.