From ambitious therapists to podcasting pioneers.
By Sue Marriott, LCSW, CGP and Ann Kelley, PhD
Photo by Lo Smith
Austin is known for its music, its beauty–even its weirdness–but what you may not know is that it’s also home to one of the most vibrant therapeutic communities in the country.
Thirty years ago, Sue was a new therapist coming out of UT-Austin’s School of Social Work, when a chance encounter after a group therapy workshop opened the door to a family of amazing therapists who embraced her wholeheartedly. Who knew that sticking around and stacking a few chairs after a meeting was enough to get an entry ticket into this vibrant social and professional group! Austin Group Psychotherapy Society (AGPS) turned out to be one of the largest and most organized group communities in the entire nation.
Years later, a different group of kick ass therapists came together and, along with Sue, co-founded a grassroots organization that brought the newly emerging field of interpersonal neurobiology and attachment science to the public. Austin In Connection is now a non-profit continuing to serve that mission, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and practical application. Interestingly enough, membership and engagement in this local organization rivals global organizations with a similar mission.
Meanwhile–unbeknownst to one another–Sue’s future wife, Dr. Ann Kelley, was carving her path as a young psychologist in the juvenile justice system on the other side of Austin. Ann was fortunate to work with one of the most innovative programs in the country for violent youth offenders. After years of clinically supervising this program, which focused on trauma treatment as a divergence to incarceration, she became motivated to impact systems more broadly. Ann, like Sue, harbored dreams of making complex psychology more accessible; particularly for those who have limited resources.
When we connected, it was more than just a meeting of minds—it was a (admittedly sometimes nerdy) fusion of dreams and ambitions. We fell in love, and from that union we birthed a little podcast.
We cringe at those early episodes – our awkwardness, the awful audio quality, our ignorance regarding interviewing and our naivety regarding capitalistic influences…we were clearly novices in the broadcasting world. But what we lacked in technical expertise, we made up for in determination; ultimately creating an acclaimed catalog of valuable original content. We interviewed many world-renowned guests on the show and shared insights gleaned from our expert guests, professional experience, marriage and our parenting successes and failures.
To our surprise and delight, people tuned in. Austin was our first fan base, but our audience began to grow, soon spreading far beyond Central Texas. Today, we’re humbled to know that ‘neuronerds,’ (a term we affectionately use for our dedicated listeners) from almost every country in the world—including individuals in the West Bank, Nigeria, Russia and countries we rarely hear of—tune in to learn about attachment, relational neurobiology and depth psychology.
Today our podcast, Therapist Uncensored, has surpassed ten million downloads—a milestone that still leaves us in awe. As a female-led, independently produced show in a male-dominated industry, we’ve defied the odds by sticking around and consistently ranking in the Top 10 of Apple’s Social Science podcasts for many years.
This journey of growth and connection recently culminated in another exciting venture: the publication of our book by HarperCollins last April, Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World. Already critically acclaimed, it distills our 30-years of clinical experience, the wisdom gleaned from world-renowned guest experts we’ve interviewed over the years and our new framework to explain the complexities of science in a simple framework.
As we reflect on this incredible journey, we are struck by how each step forward was fueled through the generosity of relationships. At a time when these exact qualities can be derided, it’s more important than ever to reclaim them as powerful and necessary antecedents to community growth and creative change.
Humans are born, fundamentally, craving love and connection, so no matter how dark things can appear, don’t doubt for one moment the hope that secure human connections can bring. And no matter your personal history, rest in the fact that positive neuroplasticity is real. This means that positive change is always possible!
What started as two separate dreams was amplified by a strong community and has blossomed into a shared mission that touches lives across the globe. Our story is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance and local partnerships. As the landscape of media and psychology continues to evolve, we look forward to growing with it and continuing to help people navigate the intricacies of human connections and finding security in this incredible, frightening and beautiful world.
1 Comment
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