Therapists Unchained
Therapists Unchained is about opening a dialogue about the state of mental health in the United States as seen through the eyes of the clinicians and the role of tech platforms in shaping access to care, the consequences of VC-backed therapy models, the intentional complexities of dealing with insurance companies, and building a community of mental health providers to support, mentor, educate, and empower each other. You’ll hear real talk about what’s happening behind the scenes in our field and what it means for providers and clients alike. Why It Matters: As the mental health field becomes increasingly shaped by corporate interests and algorithm-driven care, clinicians are being left out of critical conversations — and often critical decisions. This podcast is our space to educate, connect, and organize. Join the Movement: If this conversation resonates with you, we invite you to subscribe, share with your networks, and start the conversation in your communities. Together, we can unchain the future of mental health care. Connect With Us: If you'd like to be on the show or collaborate with Therapists Unchained, please get in touch with Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS, at sivie@therapistsunchained.com THANK YOU!
Episodes
This week on Therapist Unchained host Sivie Suckerman and Candice Thompson discuss the ethical dilemmas and potential dangers of integrating artificial intelligence into the therapy profession. Candice explains how venture capital and the tech industry are aggressively commercializing mental health care, often prioritizing corporate valuation and cost-cutting over authentic human connection. They highlight the hidden risks of AI to...
In this podcast interview, Sivie Suckerman speaks with Megan Ellow, a licensed clinical social worker and the creator of Therapist CEU. They discuss the growing corporatization of mental health, specifically how large entities and private equity firms have taken over the field of continuing education. Megan shares her frustration with generic, low-quality trainings offered by major conglomerates and explains how her new online dire...
In this episode of Therapists Unchained, Sivie Suckerman interviews Dr. Lauren Lawson, a licensed marriage and family therapist, coach, and founder of Hope Counseling Center. They discuss the financial and operational pressures facing private practice owners including corporate tax burdens, widespread clinician burnout, and the limitations of traditional fee-for-service models. Dr. Lawson dispels widespread misconceptions about non...
In this episode of Therapists Unchained, Sivie Suckerman interviews Michael Desposito, a counselor and advocate leading the Insurance Accountability Committee in Ohio. They speak about the systemic challenges facing mental health professionals, including low reimbursement rates, the threat of insurance clawbacks, and the complexities of clinical integration. Michael highlights recent legislative successes in Ohio, such as the passa...
Content Warning: This episode of Therapists Unchained features a deeply honest and vulnerable conversation regarding severe depression, systemic burnout, and suicidal ideation among mental health professionals.
In this episode of Therapists Unchained, host Sivie Suckerman sits down with Anna Steele, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker who runs a solo private practice in Vail, Arizona. Anna shares her courageous professi...
This podcast episode of Therapists Unchained, hosted by Sivie Suckerman, features MediSprout founders Dr. Samant Virk and Ben Putland, who discuss their mission to provide an ethical technology alternative for mental health clinicians. Unlike venture-backed platforms that prioritize investor returns, their Electronic Health Record (EHR) system focuses on clinical integrity and data sovereignty. The founders explain how they self-fu...
This podcast episode of Therapists Unchained, hosted by Sivie Suckerman, features Meg Curtin Rey-Bear, MA, LPCC, LMHC, NCC, a veteran therapist and advocate from Eastern Washington. As the finance task force chair and co-creator of the insurance task force for the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WAMCA), Meg shares her experiences navigating and fighting to reform the mental health insurance system. Meg and Sivie sp...
Host Sivie Suckerman, LMHC, ACS and “Psych Billing Coach” Susan Frager, MSW, clarify key administrative and regulatory shifts impacting mental health clinicians.
Susan explains the technical differences between Medicare's "incident to" billing and standard behavioral health supervisory billing. The two discuss the administrative risks of unclear documentation rules, highlighting a recent $750,000 audi...
In this episode of the "Therapists Unchained", host Sivie Suckerman interviews Susan Frager, MSW, widely known as the "Psych Billing Coach". Susan shares her journey from working as an MSW in a high-stress managed care environment to building a business that helps therapists navigate the complexities of psychiatric billing. The conversation tackles the systemic issues clinicians face with insurance companies, including unresponsive...
In this episode, host Sivie Suckerman, LMHC welcomes her guest, Jessica Frick, LPC. Drawing on her background in community mental health, Jessica shares vital updates on her macro-level advocacy work within the Mental Health Insurance Reform Task Force and the Pennsylvania Counseling Association. Their conversation focuses on the current challenges mental health professionals face regarding insurance companies and venture cap...
In this episode of Therapists Unchained, Sivie Suckerman interviews Sharon Harper, a licensed clinical social worker and the founder of the Therapist Resource Institute (TRI). The conversation explores and emphasizes the necessity of reclaiming professional autonomy and building sustainable careers through authentic human connection and systemic advocacy while also delving into the Therapist Resource Institute as a national platfor...
*The audio in this episode is not my favorite. Thanks for your understanding!*
In this episode, host Sivie Suckerman welcomes her first-ever return guest, Nicole Sartini. Nicole is a licensed professional clinical counselor, integrated mental health professional, and a fierce advocate for social justice and health insurance reform based in Louisville, Kentucky. Following up on their previous conversation from August, Nicole shares v...
In this episode, Sivie sits down with Shannon Thompson, LMHC, Executive Director of the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WMHCA), the state chapter of the American Mental Health Counselors Association, to explore and dismantle the typical narrative around professional organizations. Shannon explains how the WMHCA has evolved into a "unicorn" in the field by employing a paid leader who is also a licensed clinician. Th...
In this episode of Therapists Unchained, host Sivie Suckerman sits down with Jeanine Rousso, a licensed clinical mental health counselor and registered play therapist supervisor based in North Carolina. They discuss the harsh financial realities facing mental health professionals today—from staggering student loans to the rising costs of private practice—and introduce a beacon of hope: The Therapist Resource Network. Je...
In this episode of Therapists Unchained, host Sivie Suckerman, LMHC, ACS sits down with Kim Kabar, LMFT, to discuss the hidden dangers of the "uberification" of mental health care.
The conversation highlights a harrowing security breach where Kim’s deactivated Psychology Today account was hacked and altered, raising urgent questions about HIPAA compliance, data retention, and the vulnerability of private practice clinici...
In this episode of Therapists Unchained, host Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS sits down with Michael Clifton, MA, LPC, LAC, NCC, a brave clinician willing to speak openly about what it’s actually like to work inside the very VC-backed mental-health platforms this podcast has been warning about. Drawing on what he calls “footage from behind enemy lines,” Michael walks us through the shifting terrain of corporate-con...
Hey folks,
This is a very short episode to recognize and acknowledge the current oppressive systems we are facing in the United States. This episode is meant to connect and offer mutual aid to those looking for community during these unprecedented times. Please join us for our next Collective Care Lab on January 28th. If you would like a link to join us, please email me at sivie@therapistsunchained.com, and you can read more about t...
This week's conversation dives into a long-standing issue in the mental health field: the gap between clinical training and real-world practice. Host Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS is joined by clinician and academic Janice Murphy Rising, Ph.D., LMHC, CMHS to unpack why so many graduate programs leave students unprepared for the practical demands of private practice. They discuss counseling education’s leadership gaps, the va...
In this mini-episode of Therapists Unchained, Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS, provides updates about the Therapists Unchained community and thanks listeners for their support. A core focus is building community and facilitating engagement, including promoting past events and two monthly "labs": the Liberated Practice Lab, focusing on business and practice issues, and the Collective Care Lab, offering mutual aid for navigating share...
In this episode of Therapists Unchained, host Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS, sits down with Jack Register, LCSW, LIASC, CCS, ICAADC, ICCS, a seasoned advocate and clinician with experience in public policy and systemic change. Together, they discuss Jack’s journey as a registered lobbyist at both the state and federal levels, unpacking the nuanced difference between advocacy and activism.
Jack shares how therapists and other ...
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