Redefine your relationships

EP 1 Speed Dating a Therapist

May 5, 2021

Mary Ann (00:00):

Welcome to the first episode of the renewal session podcast in today’s session, we’re going to do this thing that I call it. Therapy, speed dating. Let me explain the very first session that a client comes in is really more like an interview than it is about getting in a deep to whatever they’re coming to talk about. And so I call it speed dating because I’m going to share a little bit about myself with that client and they’re going to share about themselves. And then at the end, we’re going to decide whether or not we fit together. And if we do we’ll make an appointment, and if we don’t, then perhaps I’ll make a suggestion of another therapist in the area or they just go out and find somebody different on their own. But in that process, usually what I’ll do is I’ll just give some key highlights of who I am, how I became a therapist and how I do therapy, because I feel like those are pretty important things for people to know. So I’ll just start there with you. So obviously my name is Maryanne and I’ve been married to Neil, my husband 26 years, and we have two kids, Katie and Jack who are grown now and live out on their own. And that’s kind of fun because we’re empty nesters, but we also get to really enjoy them as adults. In fact, you will probably get to meet all three of them when we record different episodes, because they are probably the three biggest people who have changed my life and helped me grow into who I am today.

Mary Ann (01:38):

They are the three most important people in my life. They have changed so much of who I am and it helped me become who I am today. Now that might sound mushy and you might not even have that experience with your family. So I don’t want to create like this Rose colored glasses thing, because truth be told. They’re also the people that give me the most amount of crap. And they’re the people that tell me the harshest of truths, but it’s kind of who we are, it’s who we are together. And we just love it. So I’m sure there’ll be on the show at some point. And I’m sure they’re going to reveal all the ways in which I have scarred them or help them succeed in life. So I’ll be excited for you to meet them. But as a therapist, one of the ways that I do therapies, I say one of the guiding principles that I believe is important in therapy is to feel like you’re sitting across from a therapist who really gets it.

Mary Ann (02:38):

You can tell somebody all day long. I love you. I care about you. I’m listening to you, but at the end of the day, if the person doesn’t feel like you get it, then there’s not going to be that click. There’s not going to be that moment where you sit down and you say, this is my person, and they’re going to help me walk through life. And just like, I feel that that responsibility in therapy, I feel that same responsibility with this podcast. Now, how did I get to doing a podcast? Well, that’s fairly simple. Since the day I was born. I can’t, I, as long as I can remember, I just love to talk, but in practice killer, I love to tell people the things I’ve learned. And a lot of times in therapy, you can only share what you’ve learned. That’s in relationship to what the person is going through.

Mary Ann (03:32):

But there are so many things that I’ve learned through the years. And so many things that I’ve had to walk through in my life to become who I am today and, and to be able to be who God calls me to be, that I just want to share with people, not sharing just my story, but share all the insights that I’ve gained from books or things I’ve listened to or relationships that I’ve had in gained wisdom from other people, truth be told some of the greatest change in my life has happened. Not by these follow the instructions sort of things, but like really hunkering down and figuring, bring out what’s going on with me. And yeah. How has God working in my life so that I can hear him, whether that be through a book or a relationship, one ship or prayer or something. I mean, God has spoken to me through the years in so many ways.

Mary Ann (04:28):

And if I can gather up all that information as I’m reading it or hearing it or learning it and tell it to somebody else so that their process can be just a little bit more enriched or maybe even moved along at a faster rate, why would I not want to do that? So that’s why I started the podcast plain and simple. I want to share with you the things that I’ve learned, that they’re not all my thoughts. Some of them are going to come from books that incredible leaders have written. They’re going to come from thought leaders from, from pastors, from friends, from all these different places. And I just want to share it all with you. So that’s what the show is going to be about. It’s going to be about finding your purpose, not through like, so the show’s about reclaiming your purpose, redefining your relationships and renewing your mind for, Hmm, most of my life, those have been the three things that I really have been in pursuit of.

Mary Ann (05:39):

What is God’s purpose for my life life? How do I have healthy relationships? How do I heal from the past? So I can have those healthy relationships and how do I change my thinking about things? How do I quiet the inner critics that I have going on at any given time? How do I speak truth to myself? How do I allow God to speak through me? All of those things were, were like the things that my life was made out of. I wanted to search for answers. I wanted to heal, but I knew that it was going to take time. And so I want to share with you this process, I want to walk alongside you and give you any information that I can to make that happen for you, because I know that personal change happens within us. And I know that there has to be a decision point at which we say, I no longer choose to stay the same, but I’m going to change.

Mary Ann (06:38):

And if I can do something, if I can give one piece of information to you to make that possible, to start you on the journey of who you’re supposed to be, then it’s all worth the while. So I would love for you to come every week to this podcast. And I will do my part in making sure that I bring solid stuff to you, that I can share with you, that I know will help you overcome hurdles in your life. That will get you closer to your purpose. That will create healthier relationships and quiet your mind so that you can know what it is that God’s calling you to. So that’s my promise in all of this, and it’s my hope that you’ll come, we’ll be friends and we’ll do this together. So each week I’m going to drop a new episode on Thursdays and each week I’m going to bring to you something that will recur.

Mary Ann (07:31):

You can reclaim each week. I’m going to drop a new episode. That’s going to focus on either reclaiming your purpose, redefining your relationships or renewing your mind. I can’t wait to see you back here, but until then live your best life. But until then, I just want you to think about one thing. If before the next episode, you could pick one part of what we’ve talked about, whether it be finding your purpose, building better relationships or renewing your mind and quieting things, which one would it be? And then go over to Instagram and in the comments at the renewal session, write down what area of life you want to tackle first, make that commitment. And then when we come back next week, I will begin the process of talking to you about how to do those very things until then take care of yourself. And until we meet again, be as kind to yourself, as you possibly can give yourself some room to listen to God and we’ll come back and we’ll start the work together until then take care.


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More About Mags

Hey There, I’m Mary Ann, a Christian Therapist for more than a decade, Life Coach and Identity and Calling Mentor
Most days you can find me helping clients with the messy and meaningful things of life. I am mostly known for being a Christ follower, Wife and Mother to two adult children. If you were to ask people what I am like, they would say “ what you see if what you get”, funny, authentic, and unfiltered truth. I love teaching people about how to use counseling ideas to lead them to deeper spiritual growth. I am passionate about helping people become who they were created to be.

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