Both Sides of the Couch
Both Sides of the Couch is where therapist and human meet. Hosted by Kari Rusnak, a licensed therapist living with chronic illness, the podcast explores the messy, honest overlap between helping others and healing yourself. Through personal reflections, stories, and thoughtful conversations, Kari invites listeners to slow down, think deeply, and feel a little less alone, on both sides of the couch.
Both Sides of the Couch
Latest Episodes
Episode 15: Why I Don’t Offer Free Consultation Calls (and Why That’s Ethical)
In this episode, I explain why I don’t offer free consultation calls and why that decision is grounded in ethics, safety, and respect for therapeutic labor. I unpack the myth of the “quick 15-minute call,” why it almost always turns into unpaid...
Episode 14: Chronic Illness, Emotional Labor, and the Friend No One Checks On
In this episode of Both Sides of the Couch, Kari reflects on a small, ordinary moment that sparked a much bigger realization about imbalance in relationships. Through the lens of a therapist, a chronically ill person, and a friend who ...
Small Thoughts Big Feelings: The $14,000 Question
In this mini episode, Kari shares a funny moment about an HSA statement that turns into a reflection on invisible labor, chronic illness, and why some parts of life are hard to explain even to the people who love us. <...
Episode 13: When I Choose to Overdo It: Autonomy, Chronic Illness, and the Right to Decide
In Episode 13, Kari explores a deeply familiar tension for people living with chronic illness: being told “don’t overdo it.” While often well-intentioned, Kari explains how this phrase can feel controlling, dismissive, and painful, esp...
Episode 12: The Therapy of Nature: How the Outdoors Supports Chronic Illness
In Episode 12, Kari explores the therapy of nature and how time outdoors can support people living with chronic illness, pain, fatigue, and nervous system dysregulation. Kari begins the episode by reflecting on a familiar moment in...
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
Small Things Often
The Gottman Institute