Outside The Therapy Room

Outside The Therapy Room

Ivonne Hammoud is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) and owner of a therapy practice in Waterloo, Ontario. But out of the office, she's a mom, wife, daughter, sister and friend. Join Ivonne as she sits with a special guest to discuss every day things that impact our mental health! Conversations about everything from mental health and relationships, to media and current events, as well as personal experiences and reflections, all in the hopes of normalizing our humanness and helping you see that you’re not alone. This is Outside the Therapy Room!

Episodes

August 28, 2025 31 mins

Season 2 of Outside The Therapy Room kicks off with one of the biggest transitions of the year—back to school. In this episode, I’m sharing how to spot the signs of school anxiety in kids (and teens), simple ways to help them process those big feelings, and practical coping tools that actually work. Plus, I’ll walk you through how I get my own family back into routines before the first bell rings—because a smoother schedule means c...

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In this final episode of Season 1, Ivonne opens up about the hidden toll of always being "the strong one." As a therapist, business owner, and caretaker, Ivonne shares her recent personal experience of navigating life while holding it all together for everyone else — and what happens when even the strong feel like they’re falling apart.

We explore the emotional cost of being the reliable one, the silent weight of unspoken ...

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In this episode, we explore the surprising challenges many of us face when it comes to simply resting. From the guilt that creeps in when we slow down to the cultural pressure to stay busy. Bethany is back and together, we unpack why rest often feels out of reach—and why it's more essential than ever. 

Join us for a compassionate conversation about recognizing burnout, and reclaiming rest as a necessary act of self-care.

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This week we are joined by Aleta Wilson! She is a registered social worker and has an amazing new program called Nice Girls Club starting May 14th. In this episode, we dive into the hidden challenges women face when caught in the cycle of being the "nice girl" — always accommodating, always saying yes, and constantly putting others' needs ahead of their own. Aleta shares tools to help us get closer to our Self-Assure...

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Melissa Pyne is BACK, and ready to take a deep dive into the world of psychedelic-assisted therapy. In this episode, we're breaking down what psychedelic therapy actually looks like. Melissa shares the three main types of psychedelic medicines used in therapy today—psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine—how they work, what they’re used for, and why people are turning to them for mental health breakthroughs.

Thinking about trying this t...

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Sudden injuries can be painful, scary and a tough mental battle. Chris Michael is an Registered Massage Therapist, and he joins the podcast to share his story of recovering from knee surgery, after not being able to locate his knee cap! 

Chris gets real about the mental side of his recovery: the depression, anxiety and identity loss; and how he shifted his mindset and made space for his emotions to have a new perspective on recovery...

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Trigger Warning: This episode discusses suicide and suicidality briefly. Please take care while listening, and reach out for support if needed.

In this episode, we explore an anti-carceral approach to suicidality—an alternative to the traditional criminalizing and institutionalizing responses to those struggling with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. 

Kaitlin Baldwin joins us, as we delve into how the carceral system often exacerbates...

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In this candid and fruitful episode of Outside The Therapy Room, Ashley Mariani joins us as we explore the intricate dynamics of sex and relationships, offering insight and advice for creating deeper emotional and physical connections with your partner. Whether you're navigating the early stages of a relationship or working through long-term challenges, this episode covers everything you need to know to foster a healthy, passi...

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In this episode of Outside The Therapy Room, Bethany and Ivonne dive into the topic of the inner critic — that nagging, self-doubting voice we all experience. They explore how it shapes our thoughts, impacts our confidence, and share practical tips for managing it. Whether it's in your career, relationships, or personal growth, learn how to befriend and quiet that inner critic and embrace a more compassionate, empowering minds...

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In this insightful podcast episode, Destinee opens up about her personal journey with gender disappointment during pregnancy. She shares her raw and honest feelings, providing listeners with a relatable and empathetic perspective on navigating the complexities of expectations and emotions surrounding the sex of a baby.

Whether you're a parent-to-be or simply seeking to understand this often-overlooked experience, Destinee’s sto...

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Tonya is back to bust some of the myths we hear about couples therapy, like couples therapy is only if you're about to break up; the therapist is always taking a side; and couples therapy is only beneficial when you plan on staying together. 

As two couples therapists, we know how communicating to your partner that you want to go to couples therapy, isn't always received in the best way. That's okay, and common actual...

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Did you know there are 7 different types of rest!? It’s true; while the most commonly known is physical rest, there can be times where we are chilling on the couch, watching a movie or we wake up in the morning after a long sleep, but don't feel well rested. This may be because we are only engaging in one type of rest.

Destinee is back to talk about the different types of rest, how we can recognize when we need to pracitce that...

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February 20, 2025 37 mins

You've heard about validating yours and others emotions, but what the heck does that even mean? Sarah, our registered social worker, joins us to discuss what validation is, why its important and share some examples of validation.

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@outisdethetherapyroompod

If you're looking for a therapist and live in Ontario, feel free to visit our website here or contact us at hello@newmooncounselli...

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Lisette Weber is a Postpartum Doula - a sidekick really, and she joins us to talk all things maternal mental health. Lisette explains what a Doula is, what her work focuses on and shares her own experience with postpartum depression and anxiety.

We share resources on how to support a loved one who has just had a child, while validating and normalizing the challenges a new mother goes through physically, mentally and emotionally.

Lise...

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Reality TV is everywhere, its either our not-so-guilty Guilty Pleasure, our coping show, or the thing that connects you to friends and family. Bethany is back, and we are joined by Alicia (our registered social worker), to talk all about Reality TV and how it can impact our mental health. We also discuss reality stars and the impact of being documented has on their mental health.

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@outisdethet...

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Jenni is back to talk about conflict. We answer the question "is conflict bad", and we discuss what happens to our bodies and brain when we are in conflict, survival cues (flight, fight, freeze and fawn) and the window of tollerance; as well as the different conflict types we might take on.

We provide support and suggestions to help you the next time you find yourself in a place of conflict and how to self-regula...

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This is a fun one! Our favourite nerd, Destinee is back to talk about video games and mental health. In this episode we talk about the negative impacts of video games, and all of the benefits and positive impacts video games can have on our mental, physical and emotional health.

We talk about female gamers, the sense of community that can come from gaming, using video games as a tool to relieve anxiety and stress, how vide...

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Returning back to regular routine after the holiday break can come with some difficulty and adjustment. Going from slower, unplanned days, a lot of festive events, food and socializing to early mornings, packing lunches for work/school, and going back to our usual habits can be hard and tiring!

This week, Alex joins Ivonne to talk about why routines are important, how it can be challenging and they share their own difficul...

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Spending time alone, while challenging, can be so beneficial to our mental health, and our relationships. In this minisode, Ivonne talks about her experience going from disliking time alone, to now loving time alone.

This episode will show you the signs that you may need some time alone, the benfits of solo dates and alone time, and also validates why it can be so hard to spend time alone. We hope this minisode leaves you ...

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Happy New Year! We are back with a brand new episode - first one of 2025... exercise! I'm sure you've seen all the ads on social media, TV, radio, just about everywhere, about exercise and fitness as we start the new year.

Jordan, Sarah and Ivonne talk about why exercise is such a focus in the new year, the benefits of exercise to our mental health, and how to build ourselves up for success when it comes to incl...

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