Therapy in the Woods: Mood, Authenticity & Advice‑Giving

Media Links
• Website: delvepsych.com
• Instagram: @delvepsychchicago
• YouTube: youtube.com/@DelvePsych20
• Substack: delvepsych.substack.com

Participants
Hosts – Ali McGarel, Adam Fominaya

Overview of Big Ideas
• Mood meets method – How a therapist’s own emotional state can quietly shape a session, and why a flawless “game‑face” isn’t always helpful.
• Authentic presence – Bringing real humanity into the room without letting clients slip into caretaking the clinician.
• The woods metaphor – Therapy as guiding someone through familiar yet ever‑shifting forest paths: the guide knows the terrain, but the traveler still spots hidden roots and snakes.
• Common factors over techniques – A strong alliance, felt safety, and shared meaning usually matter more than any single modality.
• Advice‑giving done right – From playful “buy‑a‑cat” suggestions to devil’s‑advocate maneuvers, directive moments can spark insight without robbing agency.
• Three decision drivers – When clients feel stuck, check for missing data, clearer analysis, or lived experience before acting.
• Love without score‑keeping – Choosing to love as a verb and refusing silent, transactional tally sheets in relationships.

Breakdown of Segments
• Opening & house‑keeping – Website/Substack shout‑outs.
• Mood in the therapy chair – Acting analogies, “leave your baggage at the door,” and when that fails.
• Therapeutic relationship defined – Power balance, client expertise, and mid‑way guiding.
• Common factors deep‑dive – Why research keeps circling back to alliance and safety.
• When clients want answers – Neutrality fatigue, strategic side‑taking, and permission‑giving advice.
• Decision‑making toolkit – Data, analysis, experience; mindfulness of imagined futures.
• Do not love transactionally – Loyalty, responsibility, and open requests over silent score‑cards.
• Wrap‑up & plugs – Affordable therapy offerings and a Substack tease.

References & Further Reading
• Rogers C. R. (1957). “The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change.”
• Bandura A. (1977). Social Learning Theory.
• Norcross J. C. & Lambert M. J. (2019). “Evidence‑based therapy relationships.”
• Wampold B. E. & Imel Z. E. (2015). The Great Psychotherapy Debate.
• Delve Psychotherapy Substack (2025). “Tell me what to do!!!”