Podcast: The Missing Piece
Cracking Therapy’s Toughest Cases
with Heleen Woest, MA, LPC
After almost a decade in the trauma field, I have sat across from hundreds of clients carrying incredible pain. I’ve seen many of them find healing, joy, and healthy relationships – and it leaves me, time and time again, in awe of the profound, almost unbelievable resilience of the human spirit.
But there were also cases that baffled me and sent me searching frantically for answers. This podcast is about cracking open the cases that keep therapists up at night and leave clients without hope. We talk about what actually works, what does not, and the missing pieces we are still searching for.
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Featured Episodes
EPISODE 1
Introducing Therapy Puzzles and Missing Pieces
Welcome to The Missing Piece, where we dive into the most complex and challenging cases in therapy. Host Heleen Woest introduces the concept of “therapy puzzles” — those moments when traditional approaches fall short and both therapist and client feel stuck. We explore why finding that one missing piece can change everything.
Host: Heleen Woest, MA, LPC
EPISODE 2
Mystery Illness – When It’s “All in Your Head”
Have you ever been told your physical symptoms are “just anxiety” or “all in your head”? We unpack the frustrating reality of mystery illnesses, the mind-body connection, and how to advocate for yourself when the medical system dismisses your pain.
Guest: Rachel Ward, PMHNP-BC | somethinghumanhealth.com
EPISODE 3
Everyone Loves Mr. Nice Guy — But No One Knows His Pain
He’s the guy everyone loves — the one who never says no, who puts everyone else first. But behind the smile, something is breaking. We unpack the hidden cost of being the “Nice Guy” and explore what it means to be a stand-up guy instead.
Guest: Dillon Robertson, LPC | Bio & Contact
EPISODE 4
From Sexual Trauma to Wholeness — Moving Beyond Sexual Trauma
Healing from sexual trauma is a profound journey, especially when it comes to reclaiming physical intimacy. We discuss the delicate process of making touch feel safe again, with practical guidance for survivors and their partners.
Guest: Melinda Arnold, LPC, CST | Bio & Contact
EPISODE 5
A Different Brain — Everything Neurodivergence
What does it actually mean to have a different brain? We explore ADHD, autism, and sensory processing differences, and why neurodivergent people so often fall through the cracks of traditional mental health care. Rachel Ward brings clinical expertise and personal insight to a conversation that challenges us to rethink what “normal” really means — and what it looks like to truly support a brain that works differently.
Guest: Rachel Ward, PMHNP | somethinghumanhealth.com
EPISODE 6
Screen and Gaming Addiction
Screens are everywhere — and for many, gaming and constant connectivity have quietly become a compulsion. We explore how screen and gaming addiction takes hold, the toll it takes on relationships and mental health, and the practical path toward healthier boundaries and real-life connection.
Guest: Dillon Robertson, LPC | Bio & Contact
EPISODE 7
The Epidemic of Family Estrangement
Family cut-offs are on the rise, leaving a trail of heartbreak across generations. We tackle the painful epidemic of family estrangement and how families can begin to bridge the seemingly impossible divide.
Guest: Felicia Wallberg, MA, LPC, CPTT | Bio & Contact
EPISODE 8
Dying for Sex
What does it mean to reclaim your body and your desires after facing a life-threatening diagnosis? Melinda Arnold returns to explore how illness, mortality, and intimacy intersect — and why so many people are secretly struggling with this conversation.
Guest: Melinda Arnold, MA, LPC, CST | Bio & Contact
EPISODE 9
Finding a Safe Place for My Loved-One
When your child, partner, or family member needs more help than weekly therapy can provide, where do you turn? Larisa Klein, MA, is an Advanced Treatment Placement Specialist who helps families navigate the overwhelming world of higher levels of care — from IOP and PHP to residential treatment. In this episode, she breaks down what each level means, how to know when it’s time, what to look for in a program, and how to advocate for your loved one when the system feels impossible to navigate.
Guest: Larisa Klein, MA | Advanced Treatment Placement Specialist
EPISODE 10
The Link between Exercise, Mobility, and Mental Health
What if one of the biggest missing pieces in mental health treatment is simply moving your body? Personal trainer Josh Martin, who lost over 100 pounds himself, joins us to talk about exercise, mobility, and its undeniable link to mental health. We explore how movement helps discharge stored trauma, why mobility loss is not just “aging,” and how getting your body back can transform your mind.
Guest: Josh Martin, CPT | MartinMethodFitness.com
EPISODE 11
Sexual Abuse and the Pelvic Floor
Sexual trauma does not just live in the mind. It often manifests in the body, particularly the pelvic floor. It shows up as pain during sex, pelvic pain with no explanation, vaginismus, erectile dysfunction, bladder urgency, and chronic tension. Pelvic health specialist Dr. Kara Schuft, DPT, joins us to explain how trauma rewires the body, what pelvic floor dysfunction actually looks like, and how specialized physical therapy can be a crucial missing piece in healing from sexual abuse.
Guest: Kara Schuft, DPT | MendwellHealth.com
EPISODE 12
Ketamine Infusion Therapy
What happens when someone has tried multiple medications, years of therapy, and every evidence-based treatment, and they are still drowning? David Kleiman, CRNA, founder of NW Ketamine Infusion, joins us to talk about ketamine infusion therapy and why the former Director of NIMH called it the most important breakthrough in antidepressant treatment in decades.
Featuring: David Kleiman, CRNA | NWKetamineInfusion.com
EPISODE 13
Breathwork: The Bridge Between Mind and Body
How can something as ordinary as breathing become a doorway back into the body? Natasha Stewart, a trauma-informed Breathwork Facilitator and Licensed Psilocybin Facilitator, joins us to explore conscious connected breathwork, nervous-system regulation, emotional processing, safety, and the difference between a powerful experience and an evidence-based promise.
Featuring: Natasha Stewart, Breathwork Facilitator | NatashaStewart.com
EPISODE 14
Can a Narcissist Be Helped?
We all know someone who seems impossible to reach. But can a person with narcissistic personality disorder actually change? Dr. Page Donnelly unpacks the neuroscience behind narcissism, the difference between narcissistic traits and a full disorder, and what the research says about whether therapy can help. This is Part 1 of a two-part series on narcissism and the people who love them.
Featuring: Dr. Page Donnelly, Ph.D. | Bio & Contact
WHAT’S NEXT
DROPPING SOON
DROPPING SOON
Let’s Talk About Porn
Is pornography helpful, harmful, or more complicated than either label? Melinda Arnold brings a porn-positive perspective and Dillon Robertson a porn-negative one to a friendly, research-informed conversation about values, shame, relationships, choice, and how clinicians can help without judgment.
Special Guests: Melinda Arnold, MA, LPC, CST & Dillon Robertson, LPC
DROPPING SOON
Neurofeedback: Training the Brain to Self-Regulate
How does the brain learn to regulate itself? Olga Ward, founder of Beaverton Neurofeedback, joins us to explain dynamical neurofeedback, what clients experience during a session, the difference between wellness training and clinical treatment, and what the research says about stress, attention, sleep, trauma, and nervous-system regulation.
Special Guest: Olga Ward, Certified Advanced NeurOptimal® Trainer
DROPPING SOON
Domestic Violence & Abuse: Recognizing Control, Finding Safety
Domestic abuse can be about control, fear, and isolation, even without visible injuries. Evanna Bradley-Tschirgi, Director of Counseling Services at the Domestic Violence Resource Center, joins Heleen to discuss warning signs, the realities of staying or leaving, how abuse affects children, and how counseling and practical support can help survivors find safety and regain choice.
Special Guest: Evanna Bradley-Tschirgi, MA, LPC, LMHC | Director of Counseling Services, DVRC
DROPPING SOON
Are Magic Mushrooms Going Mainstream?
Are psilocybin experiences becoming part of mainstream mental health care? Natasha Stewart, an Oregon-licensed psilocybin facilitator with years of wellness-facilitation experience, joins Heleen to explore individual and group support, research on depression and veterans with PTSD, and the importance of preparation, screening, consent, and integration. A curious look at the promise, risks, and unanswered questions.
Special Guest: Natasha Stewart | Licensed Oregon Psilocybin Facilitator & Breathwork Facilitator
New episodes released regularly — subscribe to stay updated.
YOUR HOST
Heleen Woest, MA, LPC
Heleen is a Licensed Professional Counselor certified in Trauma Treatment, EMDR Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). She is the founder of Life Solutions Counseling and has spent many years working with complex trauma survivors, searching for the missing pieces that help people finally heal.