Breaking Negative Cycles in Relationships with Sára Ritter

What can tarot offer in a therapy room, without turning therapy esoteric?In this episode, Johanne talks with Elizabeth Ritchie, an EMDR-certified and IFS-trained counsellor, about using tarot imagery as a reflective tool with clients who are open to it. They explore how images can help clients connect with parts of themselves, find a way into experiences that are difficult to put into words, and create new space for reflection.Elizabeth shares examples from her practice, including how she introduces the cards, when she might choose not to use them, and how she keeps the client’s own meaning and agency at the centre. The conversation also touches on trauma-informed work, online sessions, client choice, and the difference between exploring what an image brings up and treating it as a prediction.To finish, Elizabeth pulls a card for Johanne, offering a small glimpse of how this kind of image-based reflection can unfold.

In both clinical training and modern pop psychology, therapists are often sold the illusion of the "neutral therapy room", that is, a space where systemic structures and power dynamics are magically left out in the waiting room. But what happens to our clients when we avoid naming and dealing with the macro systems that actively shape their mental health? In this episode of Therapy Talk, Johanne is joined by Moulud Wahedi, a systemic, relational therapist who specializes in cross-cultural and queer relationships. Originally recorded as a live session, Moulud helps dismantle the myth of clinical neutrality and explore what it really takes to decolonise our therapeutic practice. The difference between cultural competence and cultural humility is discussed, as well as why therapeutic buzzwords like "empowerment" and "resilience" can unintentionally uphold oppressive structures, and why leaning into this uncomfortable friction is a profoundly liberating act for therapists.Resources & Links mentioned in this episode:Connect with Moulud Wahedi: Find more about her work here.Book Mention: The Other Significant Others by Rhaina Cohen (discussed by Johanne regarding marriage supremacy and centering friendship).Join our Live Sessions: Want to be part of these conversations in real time? Sign up to our community here.Connect with the Show:Follow It's Complicated, Johanne or Moulud on Instagram.Learn more about Johanne’s work here.If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps us continue to bring these important conversations to the surface.

AI is already shaping how people seek comfort, reassurance, and even intimacy. So what happens when more and more turn to machines for therapy? In this live-recorded conversation, Johanne sits down with psychodynamic psychotherapist Aaron Balick, author of The Psychodynamics of Social Networking and an early voice on the digitally extended self, to talk about what hyper-validation and frictionless companionship do to our capacity for real relating.What is covered: The algorithmic self, relational complexity, sycophancy and the tolerance of otherness, what psychodynamic thinking brings to a debate dominated by measurables, and advice for therapists whose clients are using ChatGPT.Show links: Aaron Balick's Substack Newsletter Depth Psychology in the Digital AgeThe unedited video recording of the live-streamed conversationDetails for the Rupture & Repair Conference, Berlin, June 6–7, where AI in the Therapy Space, will be one of the presentations

In this episode, Johanne Schwensen sits down with psychologist Julie Haas to break the silence around a topic that affects millions, yet remains deeply misunderstood: the psychological impact of the menstrual cycle.We often normalize suffering as "just part of being a woman," but Julie challenges this narrative. We dive into the science of how hormones shape our mental health and explore practical ways to move from "fixing" ourselves to working with our bodies. 

What happens psychologically when moving doesn’t “fix it”?In this episode of Therapy Talk, Johanne Schwensen speaks with clinical psychologist and psychodynamic psychotherapist Julia Wysokowsky about the emotional impact of moving.Together they explore how mobility shapes identity, belonging, and emotional continuity, from the early euphoria of relocation to grief, loss of grounding, and the challenge of staying connected while always on the move. The conversation touches on unconscious motivations for moving, mobility as a defense against intimacy, and how cultivating rituals and relationships can help create an inner sense of home across changing environments. A thoughtful listen for anyone who has lived between places or cultures.Interested in exploring these themes further? Join the Rupture & Repair Conference in Berlin and online, where therapists and practitioners come together to explore how rupture, breakdown, and reconnection show up not only in therapy rooms, but in relationships, communities, and the wider world. Learn more and apply to contribute here.

In this Therapy Talk episode, Johanne sits down with Dr. Andrea Jungaberle — Chief Medical Officer at OVID Clinic and co-founder of the MIND Foundation — for a grounded, behind-the-scenes look at how psychedelic-assisted therapy is actually making its way into clinical practice. They talk about Germany’s first compassionate use program with psilocybin, why the real work happens before and after the dosing session, and what it takes to responsibly scale these treatments in everyday mental healthcare.

Psychotherapist and author Roland Evans joins Johanne Schwensen to talk about his book Surface and Depths: A Story of Adolescence with Reflections on the Inner Journey. Together they explore adolescence, family, and the lifelong process of becoming ourselves — and how therapy can help us revisit and repair the patterns formed early in life.

Therapy Talk is back! Johanne speaks with psychologist and researcher Lea Schäfer about how AI is showing up in therapy – for clients, therapists, and the future of mental health care. They explore the promises, pitfalls, and ethical questions of bringing technology into the therapeutic space.Full conversation here.*The BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) was first published in 1961 by Dr. Aaron T. Beck.LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/lea-schäfer-1b3894103?originalSubdomain=deResearchGatehttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lea-Schaefer-10LiteratureSchäfer, L. M., Krause, T., & Köhler, S. (2025). Exploring user characteristics, motives, and expectations and the therapeutic alliance in the mental health conversational AI Clare®: a baseline study. Frontiers in Digital Health, 7, 1576135.https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/digital-health/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1576135/fullSchäfer, Lea Maria. "Künstliche Intelligenz als Dritte Instanz in der Psychotherapie: Wie eine sinnvolle Integration von Künstlicher Intelligenz in den psychotherapeutischen Binnenraum aussehen könnte". Was machen Digitalisierung und Künstliche Intelligenz mit der Psychotherapie?: Einwürfe und Provokationen, edited by Bert te Wildt, Gerhard Lauer and Robin Schmidt, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2024, pp. 111-128. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111509341-007

In this episode, therapist Dariia Milinchuk shares her expertise on working with survivors of narcissistic abuse. We explore how narcissistic traits differ from narcissistic personality disorder, why even trained professionals can miss the signs of manipulation, and the subtle but powerful ways narcissistic behaviour shows up in relationships. Dariia also discusses the long-term impact of narcissistic abuse and why regaining trust in oneself can be a complex but transformative journey.Full conversation here.

In Breaking Negative Cycles in Relationships, Sára Ritter explains:Her journey into couples therapy and her passion for Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) How conflicts in relationships are often rooted in unmet attachment needsThe pursuer-withdrawer cycle and why we fall into predictable relationship patternsHow couples can reconnect and shift their dynamicJoin us as we unpack these themes and learn how deeper emotional understanding can transform relationships.Watch the full interview here.