The Missing Piece: Cracking Therapy's Toughest Cases

Some therapy cases don't come with a clear diagnosis or a textbook answer. They sit in the gray areas of human experience, where trauma, addiction, neurodivergence, family conflict, and cultural shifts collide in ways that leave both clients and clinicians searching for the missing piece. The Missing Piece: Cracking Therapy's Toughest Cases is a podcast hosted by Heleen Woest, a Licensed Professional Counselor with years of experience in trauma work. Each episode, Heleen sits down with fellow clinicians and experts to unpack the cases and topics that challenge even the most seasoned therapists: the veteran haunted by moral injury, the family torn apart by estrangement, the adult who just discovered they are neurodivergent, the client stuck in a cycle of relapse that nothing seems to break. This is not surface-level self-help. This is an honest, clinically grounded conversation about what happens when therapy gets hard, when the easy answers

The Missing Piece: Cracking Therapy's Toughest Cases is a society podcast hosted by Heleen Woest, with 9 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Heleen Woest hosts The Missing Piece: Cracking Therapy's Toughest Cases, a society show with 9 episodes published.

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  The Missing Piece: Cracking Therapy's Toughest Cases

  THE BODY - the biggest missing piece in mental health

  Aug 18, 202653 min

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heleen sits down with Certified Personal Trainer Josh Martin to talk about exercise, mobility, and their undeniable link to mental health. Heleen shares her own four-year journey of transforming her body, and together they explore why the body is so often the neglected piece in healing. In this episode: Josh's personal story of losing over 100 pounds and what he learned about himself in the process Why so much of what we blame on "aging" is really just deconditioning, and how it is reversible Functional Range Conditioning (FRC): what it is and why it is different from just stretching How mobility issues show up in athletes and how addressing them early prevents injury The Body Keeps the Score: how trauma gets stored in the body and how movement helps discharge it Vicarious trauma in therapists, first responders, and healthcare workers, and how exercise helps regulate the nervous system Heleen's personal journey from not being able to do a single squat to transforming her health at 50+ This episode is for clinicians, clients, and anyone who has ever felt stuck in their body. Research highlights: Physical activity shown to reduce depression and anxiety at levels comparable to therapy and medication (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2023) Resistance training reduces depression and anxiety symptoms in older adults (Psychiatry Research, 2024) Regular exercise identified as a significant protective factor against vicarious trauma in mental health providers Connect with Josh: Josh Martin, CPT | Martin Method Fitness Website: https://martinmethodfitness.com/ Visit Heleen's Blog to learn more about this topic and the research behind it: https://www.lifesolutions.io/blog/ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heleenwoest/videos Explore upcoming topics that are dropping soon on The Missing Piece: https://www.lifesolutions.io/podcast/

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  The Missing Piece: Cracking Therapy's Toughest Cases

  HELP - My Loved One Needs More care!

  Aug 5, 202649 min

  Send us Fan Mail Where Do I Take My Child or Loved One Who Needs More Care? What if we tried all the meds and weekly treatments, and it's no longer enough? In this episode, Heleen Woest sits down with Larisa Klein, MA , an Advanced Treatment Placement Specialist, to unpack one of the most terrifying moments a family can face: realizing their child or loved one needs more care than outpatient therapy can provide. IOP. PHP. Residential. Detox. The options feel overwhelming, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Larisa’s entire role is guiding families and clinicians through that wall. She has personally visited and vetted programs across the country. She isn’t guessing. She knows. In this episode, we cover: What a Treatment Placement Specialist actually does — and why their help is free The difference between IOP, PHP, residential care, and detox How to know which level of care someone truly needs Why 41% of people with co‑occurring disorders receive no treatment How the Stages of Change model affects timing (and why pushing too hard backfires) What real trauma‑informed care looks like, beyond surface behavior When outpatient wrap‑around teams aren’t enough Connect with Larisa Klein, MA Advanced Treatment Placement Specialist Larisa.Klein@AcadiaHealthcare.com Visit Heleen's Blog to learn more about this topic and the research behind it: https://www.lifesolutions.io/blog/ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heleenwoest/videos Explore upcoming topics that are dropping soon on The Missing Piece: https://www.lifesolutions.io/podcast/

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  The Missing Piece: Cracking Therapy's Toughest Cases

  Dying for Sex

  Jul 14, 202655 min

  Content Warning: This episode contains explicit discussions about sex, childhood sexual abuse, BDSM, and death. Listener discretion is advised. Today we are talking about the FX mini-series Dying for Sex , based on the true story of Molly Kochan. After a terminal breast cancer diagnosis, Molly realizes she has never had an orgasm with a partner. She leaves her marriage and goes on a wild journey of sexual self-discovery before she dies. But this story is about so much more than sex—it is a profound look at childhood sexual abuse, dissociation, and what it takes to actually stay in your body and experience true intimacy. Host Heleen Woest is joined by Certified Sex Therapist Melinda Arnold to unpack the clinical and psychological themes of the show. We explore why dissociation is such a massive barrier to connection, how gender roles keep us from honesty, and the surprising ways that BDSM and consensual power exchange can help survivors reclaim their bodies and their absolute right to say "no." We also dive into the existential aspects of dying, the beauty of platonic love, and the crucial role of somatic work in healing. For those who don't have the stomach to watch the explicit series, we made this episode so you can learn from it without actually having to watch it. Show Notes Links:• Melinda Arnold's Bio & Contact: https://www.waypointpdx.com/melindaarnold Visit Heleen's Blog to learn more about this topic and the research behind it: https://www.lifesolutions.io/blog/ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heleenwoest/videos Explore upcoming topics that are dropping soon on The Missing Piece: https://www.lifesolutions.io/podcast/

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  The Missing Piece: Cracking Therapy's Toughest Cases

  The Epidemic of Family Estrangement

  Jul 11, 202648 min

  Family estrangement is a silent epidemic leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. In this episode, Heleen Woest, LPC, sits down with fellow therapist and friend Felicia Wallberg, LPC, to unpack the rising tide of young adults cutting ties with their parents — and the profound grief it leaves on both sides. Together, they explore the emotional dialect gap between generations, how modern trauma language and attachment theory are reshaping the way adult children interpret their childhoods, and why parents who genuinely tried their best are often the ones being cut off. They also tackle the social media trend of "you don't owe your parents anything," the paradox of staying bonded to abusive parents while estranging from imperfect ones, and what repair can actually look like when both sides are willing. Whether you are a therapist holding space for clients on either side of this divide, a parent stuck in complicated grief, or an adult child exhausted from trying to be heard — this conversation offers compassion, nuance, and practical guidance. This is Part 1 of a multi-part series. Stay tuned for future episodes featuring therapists from younger generations who share their perspectives on navigating best practices from both sides of the divide. Resources & Links Dr. Joshua Coleman — Rules of Estrangement (book recommendation) Felicia Wallberg's bio: https://www.waypointpdx.com/feliciawallberg Support Groups for Parents of Estranged Adult Children (launching Fall 2026) https://www.waypointpdx.com/groups

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  The Missing Piece: Cracking Therapy's Toughest Cases

  PART ONE: Behavioral and Digital Disorders - Video Games and Screens

  Jun 30, 202655 minS0

  <p><b>Guest: </b>Dillon Robertson, LPC: <br/><b>Email</b>: Dillon@waypointPDX.xom<br/><b>Bio</b>: https://www.waypointpdx.com/dillon-robertson<br/><br/>In PART ONE, we get into video game and screen addiction. Also tune in for PART TWO where we will talk about Pornography and the different and cutting edge treatments for these behavioral and digital addictions. </p><p><b>35% of people with Internet Gaming Disorder also have ADHD. The neurodivergent brain is wired to seek dopamine - and screens deliver it faster than anything else in human history. <br/><br/>What if the addiction isn't th...

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