521: Marginalized Couples In Therapy with Akilah Riley Richardson
Therapy Chat
Laura Reagan, LCSW-C
4.4 • 762 Ratings
🗓️ 30 March 2026
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week I'm welcoming back a guest who was first on Therapy Chat a few years ago - Akilah Riley Richardson, MSW, CCTP.
Akilah is a therapist specializing in relationships who is the author of the new book, "Marginalized Couples in Therapy: Interventions for Healing From Systemic Trauma" with WW Norton Mental Health publishing. Akilah shares that those who carry marginalized identities often face systemic trauma from various societal structures, including education, judicial, and religious systems.
She emphasizes the need for therapists to understand the complexities of identity and systemic oppression in order to better support their clients. She offers resources to support therapists in this important work. If you're a therapist, even if you work with individuals, responsiveness to the experiences of those who are marginalized by the dominant culture is imperative to ethical practice.
Resources Mentioned:
Akilah Riley Richardson's Website: https://akilahrileyrichardson.com/
Find Akilah's book, "Marginalized Couples in Therapy: Interventions for Healing from Systemic Trauma" here and save 20% using coupon code: REAGAN20
More Resources:
Therapists - if you're ready to allow yourself to be held in nature with a community of like-minded therapists, my Mind, Body + Soul Healing Retreat for Therapists in Tulum, Mexico is here. November/December dates are on the website now!
Also, new members are being accepted in the Trauma Therapist Network membership community. Learn more here.
Therapists and mental health professionals: I created a FREE video to help you feel more confident in supporting survivors of sexual violence in an embodied and trauma sensitive manner. Check it out here!
Watch Therapy Chat episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TherapyChatPodcast
Therapists, visit the new For Therapists page on the Trauma Therapist Network website for discounts on CE trainings, recommended resources and more.
Find a trauma therapist near you via findtraumatherapy.com! We believe that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available at Trauma Therapist Network.
TherapyNotes® is the highest-rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health professionals. Its all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice, from connecting with clients via secure messages, to scheduling, to notes, to billing, and more; you can trust TherapyNotes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service. It's beyond easy to get help over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives. The best time to give TherapyNotes a try is now! Sign up for your free trial by going to TherapyNotes.com, clicking "Start my free trial", and accessing your first two months free with the promo code CHAT. See why TherapyNotes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today.
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Therapy Notes is the highest rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health |
| 0:05.1 | professionals. It's all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice, |
| 0:10.2 | from connecting with clients via secure messages to scheduling, notes, billing, and more. |
| 0:15.0 | You can trust Therapy Notes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service |
| 0:20.3 | with a live person. It's beyond easy to get help |
| 0:23.1 | over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives. |
| 0:27.9 | The best time to give Therapy Notes a try is now. Sign up for your free trial by going to |
| 0:32.2 | TherapyNotes.com, clicking Start My Free Trial, and accessing your first two months free with the promo code chat. |
| 0:38.6 | CY Therapy Notes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today. |
| 0:43.5 | Therapists, ready to stop just listening and start doing? |
| 0:46.8 | I offer several ways to work with me and accelerate your trauma expertise. |
| 0:50.6 | You can join my Trauma Therapist Network membership community for ongoing support, book a one-on-one |
| 0:55.6 | clinical consultation with me for personalized guidance, or buy my course for clinicians on supporting |
| 1:00.8 | survivors of sexual trauma, and check out the retreats coming up in 2026. All that info and more is |
| 1:06.7 | on the four therapists page of Trauma Therapist Network, and you can find a link in the show notes. |
| 1:11.8 | Therapy Chat Podcast, Episode 521. |
| 1:15.9 | This is the Therapy Chat Podcast with Laura Reagan, LCSWC. |
| 1:22.7 | The information shared in this podcast is not a substitute for seeking help from a licensed mental health professional. |
| 1:29.6 | And now, here's your host, Laura Reagan. And continuing the theme of therapy with more than one person that we discussed last week when we talked |
| 2:04.7 | about bringing the family into child therapy. This week, I'm talking with my friend and colleague |
| 2:12.8 | Akela Riley Richardson. You may remember my interview with Akela from a few years ago, which you can |
| 2:21.7 | listen to now by going back into our archives. But this week, we're talking about Akela's new book, |
... |
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