Shows
Therapist UnpluggedBalancing Hormones and Mental HealthLaurie interviews clinical herbalist Nicole Haglund about how Chinese medicine can help women restore balance to their hormones and nervous systems for better mental health. Nicole explains her journey from disordered eating to becoming an expert in women's health after successfully helping her husband overcome Crohn's disease through natural methods.• Women today are experiencing burnout trying to balance careers, family responsibilities, and personal wellness• Chinese medicine identifies patterns of symptoms rather than treating isolated complaints• Magnesium deficiency is a common underlying cause of anxiety and stress• The nervous system must be regulated before herbs and nutr...2025-07-2239 minTherapist UnpluggedThe hidden benefits of personalized education are changing how students thrive.What happens when education is completely reimagined around the individual student? Alexandria Armstrong, Director of Admissions at Fusion Academy in Plano, reveals the transformative power of their one-to-one teaching model where every class consists of just one teacher and one student.Alexandria draws from her decade of experience in education and her personal journey as a homeschooled student with ADHD to explain why this revolutionary approach works for students who struggle in traditional settings. She shares how Fusion's holistic methodology addresses not just academics, but emotional wellbeing and social development—creating breakthrough moments for students who previously fe...2025-07-2247 min
The Break Up Break DownBreak Down Bonus: Are their friends wrecking your relationship? w/ Laurie Poole, LPCFollow the podcast!-Thank you, Laurie Poole, LPC, for joining us this week!-Learn more about Laurie and The Montford Group: https://themontfortgroup.com/laurie-poole-Submit a break up story/couple: https://forms.gle/ATdabGFwyy7tEx3W8-Abby's IG: https://www.instagram.com/theabbymurphy/-Abby's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theabbymurphy/-The Break Up Break Down on IG: https://www.instagram.com/breakupbreakdownpodcast/-Submit...2025-07-1713 minTherapist UnpluggedGuided Meditation for Stress Relief | Narrated by Laurie Poole, LPCFeeling overwhelmed? Press play and pause the chaos.In this brief but powerful guided meditation, therapist Laurie Poole walks you through a calming mental reset—designed to help you relax your body, quiet your thoughts, and reconnect with the present moment.Whether you're new to meditation or just need a quick reset, this practice offers a gentle invitation to slow down, breathe deeply, and return to yourself.Meditation can help:Reduce stress and anxietyIncrease emotional awarenessImprove focus and claritySupport long-term nervous system regulationLet this be your moment of calm in th...2025-05-1516 minTherapist UnpluggedProgressive Relaxation for Stress Relief | Guided Practice with Laurie Poole, LPCReady to reset your nervous system?In this calming episode, therapist Laurie Poole leads you through a guided Progressive Relaxation practice designed to release physical tension, quiet your mind, and bring your body back to a state of balance.Progressive Relaxation is a simple yet powerful technique that helps reduce stress, improve sleep, and build long-term emotional resilience. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or just need a moment to breathe—this session is your invitation to pause and reconnect.By the end, you’ll feel more grounded and better equipped to b...2025-05-1508 minTherapist UnpluggedSex After 60: Intimacy, Aging & Desire | Laurie Poole with Sex Therapist Edita RuzgyteWhen was the last time you had an honest conversation about sex after 60?In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, host Laurie Poole is joined by sex therapist Edita Ruzgyte for a candid look at aging, desire, and intimacy in later life. They challenge the idea that good sex requires a perfect body and explore how deeper emotional connection can lead to more fulfilling sexual experiences as we grow older.You’ll hear:How to talk about sex and boundaries—at any ageWhat changing bodies mean for intimacyWhy desire doesn’t expireHow to reignite connection in lon...2025-05-1555 minTherapist UnpluggedWhat Happens When Men Enter the Therapy Room?What happens when two therapists get real about men in therapy? This candid conversation delivers profound insights about why men struggle with emotions and how therapy can create transformative spaces for authentic expression.Therapists Laurie Poole and Rhett Smith explore how boys receive messages as early as age five that emotions aren't safe to express, creating lifelong patterns that emerge in relationships and personal identity. They candidly discuss the challenges men face developing emotional vocabulary and navigating societal expectations that often leave them feeling inadequate or ashamed. Through powerful clinical examples, they reveal how failure and shame...2025-04-0252 minTherapist UnpluggedHealing from the Inside Out: Mind-Body Connection with Morgan LewisWhat if the key to mental well-being starts in your gut? In this episode, holistic nutrition consultant Morgan Lewis shares her journey from debilitating stomach pain to discovering the powerful link between digestion and mental health.We explore how 90% of serotonin—the "happy hormone"—is produced in the gut, why the vagus nerve plays a crucial role in stress resilience, and how small changes in diet and lifestyle can transform your energy and mood in just days. Morgan also sheds light on the unique digestive challenges women face and why traditional health approaches often fall short....2025-03-1937 minTherapist UnpluggedUnpacking Attachment Styles for Healthier Connections with Courtney StrullHow do early experiences shape the way we connect as adults? In this episode, Licensed Professional Counselor Courtney Strull from The Montfort Group unravels the mysteries of attachment styles and their profound impact on mental health, from anxiety to relationship struggles. Through Courtney's insights, we explore how attachment influences issues like depression, anxiety, intergenerational trauma, and how family dynamics influence who we choose as partners.Learn more about the five attachment styles in the How We Love quiz, available at https://howwelove.com/love-style-quiz/Tune in as we share personal stories and expert insights on...2025-02-0534 minTherapist UnpluggedGirl Talk: Discovering Identity in a Safe Space for Teenage GirlsAdolescence is a time of transition, where peer influence begins to shape identity and self-worth. In this episode, therapist Heather Caballero explores the power of group therapy in providing teenage girls with a safe space to express themselves, navigate societal pressures, and build confidence. Listen to Heather discuss the pressing issues faced by teenagers, including body image, academic pressures, and family dynamics and the importance of open dialogue and support.Join us as we introduce the 10-week Group Therapy Program, "Girl Talk" for girls aged 13-15 and 16-18. Be sure to catch all the details about when...2025-01-2921 minTherapist UnpluggedIntimacy and Overcoming Sexual Trauma with Heather Caballero: Part 2Have you ever wondered how past experiences shape your present relationships, especially when it comes to something as deeply personal as sexual trauma? In this follow-up to our previous episode, Heather Caballero returns to delve deeper into the intricate ways past experiences shape our present relationships, particularly in the wake of sexual trauma. Drawing inspiration from Gabor Maté’s transformative work, we explore how trauma isn’t just about what happened but how it’s processed, distinguishing between ‘big T’ and ‘small T’ traumas. With expertise and compassion, this episode provides practical insights for therapists and anyone looking to heal...2025-01-0730 minTherapist UnpluggedIntimacy and Overcoming Sexual Trauma with Heather Caballero: Part 1What holds couples back from true connection? In this episode, sex therapy expert Heather Caballero dives deep into the challenges of intimacy and sexual trauma, offering tools to foster deeper, more fulfilling relationships. From tackling sexual disconnect to empowering therapists with essential skills, Heather sheds light on the often-overlooked dynamics of sexual communication.Discover the dual control model, a framework that unravels the complexities of arousal and inhibition, and explore the concept of arousal non-concordance—where physical responses may not align with desires. Through relatable analogies and expert insights, Heather debunks societal pressures and encourages open dialogue to...2024-12-1731 minTherapist UnpluggedExploring EMDR Therapy with Gergana MarkovWhat if you could navigate the toughest moments of your life without reliving the pain? Join us for an enlightening episode as we welcome Gergana, a seasoned expert in EMDR therapy, who unravels the transformative power of this groundbreaking approach. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has emerged as a beacon of hope for those grappling with trauma, PTSD, and phobias. Through Gergana's thoughtful insights and personal anecdotes, we uncover how EMDR helps shift perceptions and facilitate profound healing by addressing the roots of past traumas without forcing a re-experience of those events.For anyone feeling trapped...2024-12-0625 min
The Melinda Eitzen ShowMelinda Eitzen with Laurie Poole, MS, LPCwww.themontfortgroup.com 214-810-2615 laurie@themontfortgroup.com.Laurie Poole, MS, LPC, is a therapist and counselor at the Montfort Group. She specializes in couples therapy and individual therapy, helping clients navigate through relationship challenges and improve their mental health.2023-12-0132 min
The Melinda Eitzen ShowMelinda Eitzen with Laurie Poole, MS, LPCwww.themontfortgroup.com 214-810-2615 laurie@themontfortgroup.com.Laurie Poole, MS, LPC, is a therapist and counselor at the Montfort Group. She specializes in couples therapy and individual therapy, helping clients navigate through relationship challenges and improve their mental health.2023-11-3032 minTherapist UnpluggedRecovery from heartbreakIs there anything more painful than heartbreak? The end of a relationship can plummet us to the depths of grief and sadness in a way that few other experiences ever will. It’s an unavoidable part of life that leaves us feeling truly untethered when it does! Unlike physical pain, the roadmap to recovery isn’t always clear nor is it one size fits all. In this episode of Therapist Unplugged, hosts Laurie Poole and Cory Montfort explore sadness and loss after a break up, share stories about how they’ve coped after their own heart break and off...2023-04-0827 minTherapist UnpluggedDating Rule #1: Know Your WorthBetween the fear of fake dating profiles, commitment, and the sheer time and expense it takes to find a match, it’s no wonder that dating today is hard. Not to mention adding an ongoing pandemic to the mix. With ghosting becoming the new normal, it’s not out of the ordinary for a romantic interest to disappear with no reply for what feels like no reason at all. Dating apps and sites make it difficult to navigate the world of dating. Listen in for expert insight on the biggest issues with modern dating and tips for what you can...2023-02-2723 minTherapist UnpluggedThe Art of ApologyThe words "I'm sorry" play a big part in our daily lives. You might apologize while squeezing through a crowd or spilling something at dinner. We tend to easily say the words in these circumstances, but genuine apologies are a different story.Even if you feel guilty for hurting someone, you might have trouble finding the right way to express your regret. How do you give a meaningful and sincere apology? How do you ask for one? With these tips, you’ll find that "sorry" doesn’t have to be the hardest word.Se...2023-01-2116 minTherapist UnpluggedA Sense of Belonging with Gergana MarkovPeople’s sense of social belonging, or their sense that they have good relationships with others, is a fundamental human need. That is, having solid social connections can be as important to human health and happiness as having food, water, and shelter. Indeed, there is research to support this idea, including the finding that having social relationships can increase your odds of survival by 50%. To put this in perspective, this effect is comparable to the effects of smoking and excessive drinking on mortality, suggesting that having quality social ties is vital to our lives.This episode features ou...2022-02-0243 minTherapist UnpluggedRealities of Adoption with Laura SummersPeople have a lot of ideas and thoughts about what adoption looks like today. They might have seen things on television or in movies or heard stories about what the adoption process entails.Unfortunately, there are some common misconceptions about adoption. On this episode, Laurie Poole welcomes Laura Summers, LMFT to unpack what some of these are and discuss the truth about the family-building option that is today’s modern adoption.Send us a text 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples...2021-12-2041 minTherapist UnpluggedCommunication in Relationships 101 with Connie CornwellDo you have a roadmap for defining a good relationship with your partner? At its core, we all want and long for secure adult attachment. That’s when partners have total trust in each other, which creates a safe haven knowing that your partner will always stand by you no matter what. This episode of Therapist Unplugged has it all! Hear more on how infidelity, the birth of a first child, and chronic illness can create attachment wounds that couples struggle to address. You will learn what takes couples under, how families influence the way we c...2021-12-0948 minTherapist UnpluggedParenting teens: cracking the code of adolescence with Courtney StrullSend us a text 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn’t happen in perfect soundbites. To learn more about our team or schedule a session, visit: www.themontfortgroup.com Follow us on Instagram: @themontfortgroup2021-11-2338 minTherapist UnpluggedDating without a destination with Cory MontfortOften times people suffocate the growth of a relationship by defining a destination for a date. Have you thought of dating without a destination?On this episode, Laurie sits down with Cory Montfort for a quick chat about how to date your partner by focusing on the feeling instead of the destination.Send us a text 🎙️ Therapist Unplugged is produced by The Montfort Group, a boutique therapy practice based in Plano, Texas, helping individuals, couples, and families build emotionally intelligent, connected lives. Subscribe for real conversations with real therapists, because healing doesn...2021-11-1021 minTherapist UnpluggedPregnancy and Postpartum with Dr. Aparna IyerWhile being pregnant or having a baby is a happy occasion, it can also be a time of overwhelming stress for many women. Joining me for straight talk on postpartum wellness and mental health is holistic psychiatrist and neurologist Dr. Aparna Iyer.Dr. Iyer completed her residency training in psychiatry at Albany Medical Center in New York, where she was selected as a chief resident and continued on to work as an Assistant Professor and faculty member. Dr. Iyer also served as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical...2021-10-2934 minTherapist UnpluggedAffairs: Starting therapy in a crisis with Cory MontfortFor those of you who have been cheated on, you know what we're talking about. The constant, gnawing, gut-wrenching awareness that you’re not special anymore, that you’ve been abandoned for someone prettier, smarter, sexier than you. It sends the betrayed into a spiral of self-doubt, wondering about their worth, unable to completely trust well until healed. And it sends the betrayer into a similar whirlwind in their struggle to come to grips with how they’ve hurt another (usually accidentally).Recovering from an affair is a messy business. We try to help each relationship no matter...2021-09-2324 minTherapist UnpluggedMyths and misconceptions about therapy with Cory MontfortOur host, Laurie Poole, LPC discusses common myths and misconceptions about going to therapy and being a therapist with co-host, Cory Montfort, LPC-S on this inaugural episode of Therapist Unplugged. Each episode will feature the unplugged views of guests and fellow therapists as we navigate hot topics, therapy trends and the world around us.We’ve got a big lineup of hot topics and all kinds of things for future episodes, but this will be a fun opportunity for listeners to get to know us a little bit, So, in talking about therapy and therapists, we believe it’...2021-09-1126 min