Embodied Practice in Psychology: Managing Anger, Stress and Burnout

We train psychologists to think brilliantly… but no one really teaches us how to feel. In this episode we explore embodied practice in psychology, including how to manage stress, anger, burnout, trauma, and emotional overwhelm through the body rather than just the mind.I’m joined again by Dr Sunil Lad, Consultant Counselling Psychologist and NHS Clinical Director, and we discuss why many clinicians feel disconnected from their bodies and what changes when we begin to work bottom-up instead of top-down.This episode is essential for psychologists, therapists, and anyone who feels stuck in their head, overwhelmed, or unable to switch off. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Why psychologists aren’t taught to feel 01:12 What is embodied practice in psychology? 02:18 Thinking vs feeling – getting out of your head 02:43 Transference, countertransference and body awareness 03:33 Anger, expression and safe emotional release 04:35 Anger vs violence – why they’re not the same 05:46 Compassion-focused therapy and emotional triggers 06:35 Checking in with your body in daily life 07:40 Social media, stress and nervous system activation 09:30 Building body awareness through movement and curiosity 11:54 Discomfort vs pain – learning your body’s signals 13:25 Why growth takes time (no quick fixes) 14:45 Embodiment as stress buffering for psychologists 15:45 Coping vs nourishing – how we regulate after hard days 17:11 “The body keeps the score” in clinical work 19:30 Bringing embodiment into supervision 21:00 Starting small – where to begin with embodied practice 22:58 Playfulness, movement and reconnecting with the body 24:04 Slowing down in a fast-paced world 25:13 Trying new experiences and building neural pathways 26:10 Where to find Dr Sunil Lad + his work 26:50 Final reflections – what stayed with me Links: 📲 Connect with Dr Sunil Lad here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sunil-lad-89597446/ 📚 Iconic Book: The Body Keeps the Score Book: https://amzn.to/3NJoY8F 🫶 To join my podcast membership to get early access to episodes and / or exclusive weekly content head to: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support or to the Apple Podcasts App: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-aspiring-psychologist-podcast/id1605628278 or to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOwjrIP_jatiqlAivJE2mgQ/join 📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0 📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97 💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/membership 🖥️ Check out my short courses for aspiring psychologists and mental health professionals here: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/online-courses Ask Marianne your most pressing psychology career question and she will send you a FREE bespoke reply! Grab your free psychology success guide here and fill in the most pressing concern box: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk (scroll to the bottom of the page) ✍️ Get your FREE Supervision Shaping Tool now: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/free-resources 📱Connect socially with Marianne and check out ways to work with her, including the Aspiring Psychologist Book, Clinical Psychologist book and The Aspiring Psychologist Membership on her Link tree: https://linktr.ee/drmariannetrent 💬 To join my free Facebook group and discuss your thoughts on this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aspiringpsychologistcommunity Like, Comment, Subscribe & get involved: If you enjoy the podcast, please do subscribe and rate and review episodes. Hashtags: #aspiringpsychologist #dclinpsy #psychology #assistantpsychologist #psychologycareers #podcast #psychologypodcast #clinicalpsychologist #mentalhealth #traineeclinicalpsychologist #clinicalpsychology #drmariannetrent #mentalhealthprofessional #gettingqualified #mentalhealthprofessionals #traineepwp #mdt #qualifiedpsychologist #traineepsychologist #aspiringpsychologists #wellbeing Mentioned in this episode: Sponsored by WriteUpp Tap to Pay This episode is sponsored by WriteUpp. Their Tap to Pay app turns your smartphone into a card reader, helping private practitioners take secure payments without additional hardware. Use code MARIANNE30 for a free 30-day trial and 30% off your first 6 months at this link: https://writeupp.com/?refid=142336