In this episode of Therapists Unchained, Sivie Suckerman, LMHC, ACS, sits down with Laura Durkin, LMFT, PhD, to unpack the systemic challenges mental health professionals face. From rigid professional identities and inadequate supervision to exploitative contracts and lack of organizational support, they explore the urgent need to rethink therapist training, strengthen advocacy, and build a more collaborative, sustainable, and ethical field rooted in community.

Laura is a WA State Approved Clinical Supervisor and received her PhD in 2025 in Counselor Education and Supervision from Antioch University, with her dissertation research focusing on accessibility within systems of higher education. She is passionate about the progressive evolution of the field of mental health as a whole.

She is also a mother, partner, daughter, sister, and friend. She likes to practice yoga, paint/doodle (all website art is her own), write, dance, hike/camp, cook, embrace solitude, and connect with loved ones.

https://www.lauradurkincounseling.com/