As a mental health therapist, do you ever secretly think, “How did I even get here… and do I actually know what I’m doing?” 👀

This episode is for every new, provisionally licensed, early-career therapist or even someone who's been doing this a while, who’s quietly spiraling over imposter syndrome, boundaries, and “faking it till you make it.”

In this episode, we welcome our very first guest, Jamie Adler, a therapist at The Cord who went from intern, to provisional, to a fully licensed clinician and practice leader at our Fremont location.

Jamie gets honest about:

• What it was really like going from grad school to the therapy room.
• The moment she told her supervisors, “Just tell me what to do,” and got both a loving cheerleader and a gritty reality check.
• Why “fake it till you make it” was actually grit in disguise.
• How her primal question, “Am I wanted?”, fed her imposter syndrome as a new therapist
• Cringey, funny early-therapist moments (hello, doing dishes and teaching double-boiling on telehealth 👋).
• Learning to invite rupture and repair instead of avoiding conflict with clients, colleagues, and supervisors.
• How she learned to protect her time and set boundaries with work, email, and after-hours crisis texts.
• Finding “her one person” for mentorship and how that changed everything.
• Using RO-DBT work to understand herself and support her clients.

If you’re a therapist who:

• Feels like a rookie and is terrified someone will “find out” you don’t know enough.
• Wants mentorship, consultation, and real-talk more than another theory chapter.
• Struggles to turn work off when you get home to your partner, kids, or pets.
• Is trying to balance being a “good therapist” with being a whole human with a life.

…this episode will help you see that you’re not failing, you’re growing, and that discomfort is actually your confidence showing up.

You’ll walk away with:

• A new way to think about success vs. failure (hint: it’s really about growing vs. staying stuck).
• Practical language for talking about rupture and repair with clients.
• Permission to set boundaries around your time without abandoning your clients.
• Encouragement to seek mentorship, supervision, and community instead of white-knuckling it alone.
• A grounded reminder that you belong in this field, even on the days you feel like you don’t.

✨ Check out our freebies and our NEW Grit School:

• Therapist AF: Grit School for the Real World, practical skills, nervous system grounding, and the reps grad school skipped
• The Gritty Therapist freebies, tools, and support: thegrittytherapist.com
• The Cord Where Science Meets Connection attachment/trauma-focused therapy.

Follow along on Instagram @grittytherapist and go get your gritty on. 💛

Ever find yourself checking your phone at 10 p.m., heart racing after a client text, wondering if you’re a “bad therapist” for not replying right away? You’re not alone. In this episode of The Gettin’ Gritty Podcast, we get real about our own internal voices that drove us to over-respond, over-give, and over-worry and how learning to wait can actually make you a stronger, more confident, more grounded clinician.

From defining what really counts as a crisis to setting boundaries that support both you and your clients, we unpack the messy middle of therapy work...you know where the real growth happens. We laugh about Cathy's Taylor Swift dream and reflect on our own “I’m not good enough” moments. You'll walk away with practical tools to build confidence, self-trust, and your grit.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to tell the difference between a big deal and a crisis
• Why slowing down your response can actually improve client outcomes
• How to manage imposter syndrome and self-doubt in the therapy room
• A simple intervention you can use now
• Why “waiting” might be your most underrated clinical skill

💜 Visit our website and grab our Freebie 7 Ways to Get Gritty

Join us on instagram @grittytherapist

Are you too nurturing with your clients, too structured or just right?

In this episode of The Gettin’ Gritty Podcast for Mental Health Therapists we unpack the Goldilocks Principle for therapists, finding that “just right” balance between structure and nurture, both in the therapy room and in your own life.

Drawing from our transformative experience with TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention), we explore how every therapist leans naturally toward one side, either low structure/high nurture or high structure/low nurture and how self-awareness can bring the two back into balance. Through humor, storytelling, and relatable “been there, done that” moments, we show that true therapist grit grows from reflection, not perfection.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What the Goldilocks Principle teaches about structure and nurture in therapy
• How to recognize whether you lead with nurture or structure (and when to rebalance)
• Insights from TBRI that transform how you connect with clients and yourself
• How to use self-reflection and consultation to grow your confidence and presence
• Why grit is about balance, patience, and self-compassion—not toughness

If you're a mental health professional who wants to strengthen your confidence, avoid burnout, and find a healthy rhythm between caring and containing, this podcast is for you!

👉 Follow us @grittytherapist on Instagram for grounded tools and therapist real talk.
💻 Get resources, trainings (coming soon!) and “gritty nuggets” at thegrittytherapist.com

Every therapist, including us, wishes there was an “easy button”, a magic fix to calm our nerves, silence imposter syndrome, and make sessions go smoothly. But the truth? There’s no shortcut to becoming a confident, grounded clinician. In this raw and relatable episode of The Gettin’ Gritty Podcast for Mental Health Therapists, we share our own gritty stories on what it really takes to build grit in the therapy room.

We’re talking about the uncomfortable parts of the work; the sleepless nights replaying sessions, the tears in the laundry room, the gut-level doubt when a case feels too big, and the moments you wonder if you’re even cut out for this profession. Through honest stories, vulnerable reflections, and laugh-out-loud mistakes, we reassure you that grit isn’t about perfection, it’s about leaning into discomfort, growing through fear, and showing up again and again.

Whether you’re a new therapist trying to find your footing or a seasoned clinician craving a fresh dose of real talk, this episode will remind you that the most powerful therapeutic skills are forged in the messy middle.

You’ll learn:

• Why the “easy button” doesn’t exist and why that’s a good thing.
• How discomfort, fear, and vulnerability are essential to clinical growth.
• Real stories from the therapy trenches that prove you’re not alone.
• Practical ways to reframe mistakes and self-doubt as grit-building moments.

The Gritty Therapist is for therapists who want no-fluff tools, grounded support, and the validation that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be — growing, learning, and getting gritty one session at a time.

Real strategies to build confidence, resilience and sustainable grit for new mental health therapists.

💜 Follow us @grittytherapist

💜 Grab our Freebie! 7 Ways to Get Gritty

Ever wonder why you react the way you do as a therapist? In this episode of The Gettin' Gritty Podcast for Mental Health Therapists, we explore how understanding your emotional patterns and drivers through the Primal Question framework can build grit, deepen self-awareness, and transform both your personal growth and your clinical work.

You’ll discover how self-awareness not only deepens your personal growth but also strengthens your client relationships and overall therapeutic effectiveness. Whether you’re navigating trauma work, burnout, or the daily grind of holding space for others, this conversation will help you reconnect with your purpose and cultivate resilience--no matter what stage of life or career you’re in.

🧠 Key Takeaways

• Self-exploration is an essential form of self-care for therapists.
• Understanding your Primal Question unlocks deeper emotional awareness.
• Grit helps you stay grounded through challenging sessions.
• Recognizing your triggers builds stronger, safer client relationships.
• Self-awareness and reflection enhance your clinical intuition.
• The Primal Question framework can be applied in therapy to support clients’ growth.
• Grit isn’t fixed, it’s a skill you can build at any age or stage.

If this episode resonated with you, follow The Gettin' Gritty Podcast for Mental Health Therapists wherever you listen. Leave a review, share it with a colleague who needs a dose of grit, and join the movement toward real, grounded, trauma-informed growth.

📣 Connect with us!

• 💻 Website: www.thegrittytherapist.com
  
  
• 📸 Instagram: @grittytherapist
  
  
• 💌 Join the newsletter here and get our free guide 7 ways to Get Gritty

Ever feel like you’re “bad” at therapy—fumbling through EMDR, forgetting your manual, or replaying every word after a tough session? You’re not alone. In this episode of The Gritty Therapist, Stefanie Armstrong and Cathy Schweitzer share real stories of learning new trauma-informed tools, bombing sessions, and still showing up anyway.

We talk about why being bad is actually good—because grit and confidence only come from practicing in the mess. You’ll hear about our early EMDR fails, writing court letters that made us cringe, and the growth that came from sticking with it.

If you’re a trauma-trained or attachment-focused therapist who struggles with burnout, session insecurity, or nervous system overload, this episode will remind you: you can’t skip the grit.

Find us on Instagram @grittytherapist

Visit us at www.thegrittytherapist.com

The Sunday Scaries hit hard when you’re a therapist. Your notes aren’t finished, your caseload feels overwhelming, and by 2pm you’re already bracing for another week of client sessions.

In this bonus episode of Gettin’ Gritty, we share our own Sunday Scaries as trauma-informed therapists—and the practical tools we use to reset before Monday.

We also give a sneak peek of the tool we created to help therapists start the week with more confidence. Whether you’re a new therapist second-guessing yourself or an experienced clinician struggling with burnout, you’ll walk away with do-tomorrow strategies you can actually use.

If you’ve ever Googled “therapist Sunday night anxiety,” “how to stop dreading client sessions,” or “tools for therapist burnout,” this one’s for you.

🎙️ Listen now to start your week with grit, clarity, and grounded confidence.

In our very first episode of The Gettin' Gritty Podcast, we share how we built our own grit—starting as teachers and school counselors, through cafeteria duty and pencil-sharpening, to launching a trauma-informed practice during the pandemic. If you’re a trauma-trained, EMDR, Somatic or attachment-focused therapist who struggles with burnout, session insecurity, or nervous system overload, this episode will help you feel less alone and show you how grit and confidence grow in the messy parts of therapy life.

Connect with us!

@grittytherapist

www.thegrittytherapist.com