Let's Unpack That #11: Bad Advice That Sounds Good

Let's Unpack That #13: The Playlist Nobody Prescribed

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2119495/fan_mail/new] A three-minute song can do something a 50-minute conversation struggles to pull off: it tells the truth fast. We’re exploring “accidental music therapy,” the tracks that were never designed to teach counseling skills, yet somehow nail grief, self-compassion, boundaries, identity, and resilience with a few lines and a melody that sticks. To be clear, this is not a replacement for counseling, and it’s not music therapy as a credentialed clinical discipline. It’s the pop culture side of mental health and why certain songs feel like emotional permission.  We start with the big question: why do some songs land so hard? From “Vienna” to “Never Grow Up,” “Landslide,” and “Lose You To Love Me,” we talk about how music can hold the complexity of loss, transition, and growing up. Then we shift into self-worth and the inner critic with songs like “Born This Way,” “Who Says,” and “That I Would Be Good,” using lyrics as a practical bridge when it’s hard to find your own words.  From there, we connect the playlist to therapy frameworks and real skills: resilience and post-traumatic growth, ACT ideas like cognitive diffusion and psychological flexibility, and parts work vibes inspired by “Surface Pressure” and “Anti-Hero.” We also dig into nervous system regulation and mindfulness, including why singing can be grounding and why “Weightless” by Marconi Union stands out with actual anxiety-reduction research behind it.  If you’ve ever felt seen by a chorus at exactly the right moment, you’re not alone. Listen, grab the playlist link in the show notes, then subscribe, share with a colleague or friend, and leave a review so more people can find the songs that help them heal. Spotify Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1mKNjlKSmMy9JrL1UKFXed?si=lCAQGOdhSvu92ksCX44hLQ] What do you think? Send us your questions or topics you'd like us to unpack! OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling [https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling] Connect with Us on Any/All Socials at our Link Tree! **** If you’re a counselor in Ohio and would like to get involved as part of production or as a guest, or know someone who might be interested, please email us at ohiocounselingconversations@gmail.com! **** Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee ·Hosted by Victoria Frazier & Marisa Cargill ·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill and Victoria Frazier ·Editing by Marisa Cargill ·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood

Conversation 42 - Psychodrama For Real Life

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2119495/fan_mail/new] Talk therapy is powerful, but sometimes words are the slowest route to the truth. We sit down with Amanda Cole, LPCC-S, counselor educator, and doctoral candidate, to unpack psychodrama as an experiential action method that helps clients move from “thinking about it” to actually feeling it safely in the room. Amanda breaks down what psychodrama is (and what it is not), why warm-ups matter so much for pacing and containment, and how group cohesion makes deeper work possible without turning therapy into a performance. From there, we get extremely practical about telehealth counseling. Amanda shares how to adapt sociometry, spectrograms, and even empty chair work to online groups using features like renaming, chat, shared whiteboards, and collaborative tools. We also talk about why telehealth is not a one-to-one copy of in-person therapy, and how changing expectations can open up new ways to build rapport and engagement rather than getting stuck comparing formats. If you work with youth, this conversation is packed with real, usable ideas for online child and adolescent therapy: normalizing movement, planning multiple backup activities, using virtual sand tray and shared screen games, sending a “therapy box” packet, doing room tours for clinical context, and using music and playlists to connect with teens. We also connect psychodrama principles to counselor supervision and training, including role reversal for empathy and doubling to name what might be unspoken. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review with the creative intervention you want to try next. OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling [https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling] Connect with Us on Any/All Socials at our Link Tree! If you’re a counselor in Ohio and would like to get involved as part of production or as a guest, or know someone who might be interested, please email us at ohiocounselingconversations@gmail.com! **** Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee ·Hosted by Marisa Cargill ·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill, Victoria Frazier, and Shannon O'Mara ·Editing by Marisa Cargill ·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood

Couch to Capitol: May 2026 Legislative Updates

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2119495/fan_mail/new] Policy can feel far away until it lands in a session as grief, fear, shame, or burnout. Join the Ohio Counseling Conversations Team as we bridge the gap between the clinical couch and the Ohio Statehouse with a rapid, practical briefing on the bills most likely to affect counselors, and clients across Ohio. We start with House Bill 698 and its push to withhold public university funding based on DEI compliance, including annual certification requirements and tracking of prior DEI roles. We talk plainly about why that matters for counselor educators trying to uphold CACREP expectations and the counseling profession’s ethical commitments to beneficence and social justice. From there, we break down Senate Bill 156’s “success sequence” curriculum mandate for public schools and why a one-size-fits-all definition of success can invalidate students from LGBTQ communities, non-traditional families, and many real-life paths our clients live every day. We also cover House Bill 347’s 24-hour waiting period tied to reproductive care and the risk created by scripted, legally loaded requirements for providers. On the practice side, we dig into Senate Bill 162, a critical insurance reform aimed at limiting insurer clawbacks and reducing administrative burdens that can destabilize small practices and shrink access to mental health care. We round out the update with House bills on an all-payer claims database and behavioral health well checks, privacy protections for mental health professionals, Ohio’s Senate Bill 113 DEI ban, and a national legal challenge that could restrict federal student loans for counseling and other professional degrees. Connect with the Ohio Counseling Association's Legislative Advocacy Committee [https://www.ocaiac.com/] Find your Ohio Senator Lookup [https://ohiosenate.gov/members/district-map] Find you House Rep Lookup [https://ohiohouse.gov/members/directory] OPPOSE House Bill 698 [https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb698&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1779724123103248&usg=AOvVaw2pkopJc0geL7umu3j4K321]- withholding higher-ed funding tied to DEI compliance and annual certification requirements OPPOSE  Senate Bill 156 [https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb156]- the “success sequence” requirement in public schools plus likely harm for marginalized students OPPOSE House Bill 347 [https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb347]- creating a 24-hour waiting period for reproductive care and adding provider compliance risks SUPPORT Senate Bill 162 [https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb162]- reducing insurance takeback timelines and easing appeals to protect small practices and client access WATCHING House Bill 716 [https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/HB716]- proposal for an all-payer claims database to support data-driven health care improvements SUPPORT House Bill 724 [https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb724] requiring coverage for behavioral health well checks without a diagnosis WATCHING House Bill 718 [https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb718]- changes to the Behavioral Health Professionals Board and why legislative language matters WATCHING House Bill 837 [https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb837]- aiming to protect residential and familial information for mental health professionals OPPOSE Senate Bill 113 [https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb113]- banning DEI efforts in K-12 and why OCA submits formal opposition SUPPORT the National lawsuit challenging federal student loan rules [https://www.google.com/url?q=https://democracyforward.org/news/press-releases/broad-coalition-challenges-unlawful-student-loan-restrictions-that-target-nurses-counselors-public-health-professionals-and-educators/&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1779724123104328&usg=AOvVaw0x3zqT449o1t5zBhe79ajv] that narrow what counts as a professional degree, including counseling  Connect with Us on Any or All Socials at our Link Tree! * OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling [https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling] Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee ·Hosted by Victoria Frazier & Lauren Collins-Knight ·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill, Lauren Collins-Knight, Victoria Frazier, Mariah Payne, and Chase Morgan-Swaney ·Editing by Victoria Frazier

Let's Unpack That #12: Springing Forward Doesn't Mean Falling Apart

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2119495/fan_mail/new] Sunshine can feel like a promise: more energy, better mood, fewer heavy days. But we’ve learned the hard way that seasonal change, especially the spring shift into warmer weather, can also bring real mental health risks and clinical surprises. Victoria Frazier sits down with Jared Sparks, clinical counselor and supervisor at Cleveland Sex and Intimacy Counseling, to talk about what actually happens when the temperature rises and why “feeling better” isn’t always the same thing as being stable. We dig into research showing that even small increases in average monthly temperature can correlate with higher suicide rates, then connect that to what we see in practice: irritability, impulsivity, sleep loss, and the ways longer daylight can disrupt circadian rhythm. We also spend time on bipolar disorder and why light sensitivity and shifting sleep cycles can be a major factor during daylight saving time and seasonal transitions. From there, we get practical. You’ll hear the sleep hygiene tips we lean on with clients (consistent sleep and wake times, keeping the bed for sleep and intimacy only), how shift work complicates everything, and why tools like blackout curtains can be surprisingly powerful. We also talk medication considerations, including heat intolerance, dehydration, and sun sensitivity, plus how we can help clients ask better questions of their prescribers without stepping outside our scope. If you’re a counselor, therapist, or a client wondering why spring feels harder than it “should,” hit play. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more people can find it. What changes first for you when the weather warms up? Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee ·Hosted by Victoria Frazier & Jared Sparks ·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill and Victoria Frazier ·Editing by Marisa Cargill & Victoria Frazier ·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood

Conversation 41 - Give Yourself Permission to Grow

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2119495/fan_mail/new] Your next mentor might be one conversation away, but most of us still hesitate to reach out. We sit down with Dr. Jake Protivnak, counselor educator at Youngstown State University, past president of the Ohio Counseling Association, and current president of Chi Sigma Iota International, to talk about what mentorship actually is and why it shapes who we become as counselors. We start with Jake’s own story and the mentors who guided him, including Dr. Tom Davis, the namesake of OCA’s Tom Davis Mentorship Award. From there, we get practical: how mentoring differs from advising, how it differs from clinical supervision, and why the best mentoring keeps a mentee’s values and goals front and center. If you’ve ever wanted someone to “just tell you what to do,” we unpack how great mentors support autonomy without leaving you alone. We also zoom out to the bigger picture of professional identity and community. Jake explains why Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) matters for counseling students beyond a resume line, including leadership opportunities, professional development, scholarships, and real connection for busy or commuting students. Then we dive into counseling history, digital archives, and Ohio’s leadership in counselor licensure and accreditation, plus what gets lost when a profession forgets its own story. If you’re a counselor in training, newly licensed, or a seasoned clinician looking to give back, you’ll leave with clear next steps and renewed pride in the counseling profession. Subscribe, share this with a colleague or cohort member, and leave a review so more counselors can find the mentors and community they deserve. OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling [https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling] Connect with Us on Any/All Socials at our Link Tree! If you’re a counselor in Ohio and would like to get involved as part of production or as a guest, or know someone who might be interested, please email us at ohiocounselingconversations@gmail.com! **** Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee ·Hosted by Marisa Cargill ·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill, Victoria Frazier, and Shannon O'Mara ·Editing by Marisa Cargill ·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood