Conversations With a Wounded Healer

Why political neutrality isn't necessarily possible—and how to navigate values, boundaries, and ethical self-disclosure in therapeutic relationship with clients. Get The Wounded Healer's Toolkit here.  Invite Sarah to speak about Psychotherapy for a Changing World: A Practice of Unlearning for Uncertain Times here. There's a saying: "If you don't do politics, politics will do you!" Variations of that theme have been around since Pericles traded jabs with council members in Ancient Greece. You, dear therapist, live in modern times, and navigating politics hasn't gotten any easier. Our profession asks us to leave our biases and personal experiences on the other side of the office door. But none of our clients make choices or approach healing from inside a comfy, unbiased little bubble. So, I'll ask: Is therapy political? "The personal is political. The political is personal," says Kirsten Lind Seal, Ph.D., LMFT, a Minneapolis-based therapist, educator, and researcher. Kirsten is an ethics and boundaries expert who hosts CEU trainings via PESI. She's here to help us dissect political disclosure in the therapeutic relationship.  In this conversation: Why therapy is inherently political—and what that means for clinical practice. When therapist political self-disclosure helps or harms the therapeutic relationship. How professional ethics and social justice intersect. Navigating power, compassion, and political differences without imposing personal beliefs. Why therapist self-care, community care, and personal growth are essential to ethical practice. Whether and how much you choose to disclose is always your prerogative. Staying true to your values is your imperative.  Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS. RECOMMENDED EPISODES: The Ethics of Taking Politics into the Therapy Room with Jordan Conrad Join the waitlist for the next Authentic Leaders Group! This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now! Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show! The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work. So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN. UPCOMING EVENTS Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs. Invite Sarah to speak about Psychotherapy for a Changing World: A Practice of Unlearning for Uncertain Times here. SUPPORT THE SHOW Sarah's Downloadables Join our Patreon for gifts & perks Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts *** Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website Facebook @headheartbiztherapy Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

How Illinois HB1085 could change therapist reimbursement, what group practice owners need to know, and why advocacy matters. I've been deep in the Facebook therapist groups lately and…y'all! I'm a bit taken aback by how many freak-outs are happening around IL HB1085. When it goes into effect on January 1st, 2027, HB1085 will upend decades of anemic insurance reimbursement rates––higher payouts, huzzah!––with a few exceptions. And here's more good news: group practice owners don't need to do anything to "prepare." You don't need to install an app or buy coursework to benefit from the law. You should, however, be informed. That's where my chat with Rose Metivier, LCPC, comes in.  If you're a practitioner located outside of Illinois, I urge you to stick around anyway. Sure, we'll cover the details of HB1085 and how it will affect the state's group practice owners. But Rose's connection to the legislation also provides a primer on how you can start advocating for policy changes in your town, city, or state. Our liberation hinges on smaller, daily acts of collective action. Rose's involvement with HB1085 is a blueprint for our profession's future. Find the HB1085 docs mentioned in this episode here: Self-Funded Vs Fully-Funded Cheat Sheet Practice Owner HB1085 Handout RECOMMENDED EPISODES How We Relate to the Moment Impacts How We Show Up as Therapists with Santiago Delboy Supporting the "Becoming" of Others in Therapy with Santiago Delboy *** Group Practice (R)evolution is a podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. Become a part of the (R)evolution in our Authentic Leaders Group. Join the waitlist for the next Authentic Leaders Group cohort. This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now! UPCOMING EVENTS Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs. SUPPORT THE SHOW Sarah's Downloadables Join our Patreon for gifts & perks Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts *** Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website Facebook @headheartbiztherapy Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

Releasing the pressure to have all the answers, confronting broken mental health systems, and reclaiming the art of being present. Get The Wounded Healer's Toolkit here.  Invite Sarah to speak about Psychotherapy for a Changing World: A Practice of Unlearning for Uncertain Times here. Beyond Sivie Suckerman's formidable credentials as a practice owner, podcaster, and creator of the Therapists Unchained community, her compassion for mental health providers shines through. She built Therapists Unchained as a resource hub to empower professionals amid a tidal wave of changes to our field. Sivie and I offer guidance on increasing our capacity for uncertainty, leaving the restrictive role of "expert" behind, and embodying the position as witness for our clients more fully. "When you feel compelled to jump in and fix or solve, you end up right in the mud with your clients," observes Sivie.  In this episode: Stop fixing, start being: Why therapeutic presence and the ability to sit with suffering can matter more than finding the perfect intervention. The systems shaping mental healthcare: How insurance companies, venture-backed platforms, and institutional expectations affect clinicians and their clients. Who takes care of the therapist? Why clinician well-being, financial stability, and professional autonomy are essential to sustainable mental healthcare. Building capacity for uncertainty: How therapists can move beyond the role of expert and develop a healthier relationship with what they cannot control. Reimagining the future of therapy: Why collaboration, shared resources, professional solidarity, and collective action can help clinicians create something better. Everything will eventually collapse––the insurance industries, the outdated systems, even the ways we train to become mental health professionals. Sivie is providing space for practitioners to co-create what comes next. And here's the good news: no one has to have all the answers. Instead, Sivie asks, "What do we have that we can contribute to the whole, because everybody does bring something different?" Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS. RECOMMENDED EPISODES Data, Dollars, and the Future of Therapy with Sharon Harper (Therapists Unchained | Sivie Suckerman) Join the waitlist for the next Authentic Leaders Group! This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now! Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show! The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work. So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN. UPCOMING EVENTS Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs. Invite Sarah to speak about Psychotherapy for a Changing World: A Practice of Unlearning for Uncertain Times here. SUPPORT THE SHOW Sarah's Downloadables Join our Patreon for gifts & perks Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts *** Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website Facebook @headheartbiztherapy Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

On self-promotion, authentic marketing, and finding your own way to be visible as a therapist. Anxiety is as old as humankind. Maybe that's why every person has a different definition of the uneasy state that derails our thoughts or actions.  Time to connect with an expert. Noelle McWard Aquino, LCSW, is a Chicago-based therapist and soon-to-be major TED Talk alum. She has three decades of experience supporting clients with anxiety and is the bestselling author of Anxiety Unpacked: Discover Your Type and Recover Your Peace.  Now, Noelle is navigating the excitement and vulnerability of her TED Talk hitting the main TED channel. "The thing that's most uncomfortable for me is anything that feels like self-promotion. I'm not somebody who loves being front and center."  In this episode: The vulnerability of therapist self-promotion Authentic marketing for mental health professionals Introversion, extroversion, and professional identity Connection over conversion Understanding anxiety differently What feels like uncomfortable exposure for one person (Noelle) may be another person's jam (Sarah). But they share the same desire: to be known in their authenticity and to feel safe doing so.  Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS. Join the waitlist for the next Authentic Leaders Group! This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now! Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show! The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work. So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN. UPCOMING EVENTS Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs. SUPPORT THE SHOW Sarah's Downloadables Join our Patreon for gifts & perks Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts *** Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website Facebook @headheartbiztherapy Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

Why therapists need compassionate curiosity, not fear, when talking about suicide. Suicidal thoughts or suicidal ideation (SI), like the emotions that swirl around it, is a source of information. That perspective-altering declaration comes from my guest, Sally Spencer-Thomas, Ph.D. She's a brilliant, internationally recognized suicide prevention leader who lost her beloved brother to suicide. Sally urges cautious mental health professionals (and worried friends/family members tbh) to build their capacity for curiosity around suicide and SI. Together, Sarah and Sally explore how clinicians can move beyond fear, liability, checklists, and the illusion of control toward compassionate curiosity, relationship, agency, and genuine human connection. They also explore grief, spirituality, continuing bonds with people who have died, and what it means for therapists themselves to be wounded healers. In this episode: Why suicidal thoughts and feelings can be valuable information How fear and liability can interfere with the therapeutic relationship Different patterns of suicidal intensity—and why one-size-fits-all intervention doesn't work The importance of agency, nervous-system regulation, trust, and human connection Why therapists' own lived experiences with suicidality deserve a place in the profession Grief, continuing bonds, and Sally's experiences of her brother's presence after his death Emerging models like polyvagal theory offer hope. But our ability to sit with what's uncomfortable may be our greatest source of preventative care. Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS. Join the waitlist for the next Authentic Leaders Group! This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now! Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show! The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work. So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN. UPCOMING EVENTS Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs. SUPPORT THE SHOW Sarah's Downloadables Join our Patreon for gifts & perks Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts *** Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website Facebook @headheartbiztherapy Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

An autism specialist and a skeptical therapist debate diagnosis, accommodations, masking, burnout, and who gets to define a "normal" brain. I love a debate; they make for great podcast episodes. While their official goal is to generate effective critical thinking, that skill is often missing from the "debates" favored by social media algorithms, especially when the topic strikes a chord of cultural conflict like educational curricula, gender identity, and neurodivergence. It's neurodivergence that gets the legit debate treatment in my conversation with new friend and fellow documentary film fiend Kory Andreas, LCSW-C. But rather than the standard "affirmative/negative" approach, our debate digs into the information (and misinformation) that surrounds diagnosis of and accommodations for folks on the spectrum, plus broader societal acceptance of neurodivergence.  Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS. Join the waitlist for the next Authentic Leaders Group! This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now! Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show! The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work. So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN. UPCOMING EVENTS Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs. SUPPORT THE SHOW Sarah's Downloadables Join our Patreon for gifts & perks Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts *** Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website Facebook @headheartbiztherapy Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

Career paths, mentorship, workplace power, and finding your voice as a therapist. When we met a few years back, Lee Thompson, LCSW, was an early career therapist, a "COVID baby" of sorts. She inherited a professional space acclimating (or not) to rapid changes in the field, like the use of conferencing tools and the growing popularity of VC-backed virtual "wellness" platforms.  Lee is part of a broader, younger cohort that has opted to enter private practice upon graduation rather than pursue experiences in community mental health. There are many reasons for this generational shift, not least of which is an opportunity to pay back those increasingly burdensome loans.  We talk about: the external forces weighing on therapists' career choices,  the life-changing magic of meaningful mentorship,  and how group practice employees can feel empowered even during challenging times.   How are we having conversations between owners and employees to actually make it more feasible to be in the group practice space with all of these changes coming? Good question. Some of the answers lie in the power dynamics of a group practice. The tension in these relationships must be addressed openly and honestly on both sides because, even if the practice owner is being absolutely 100% perfectly benevolent, the relationship doesn't work if the employees aren't owning 100% of their power. Group Practice (R)evolution is a podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. Become a part of the (R)evolution in our Authentic Leaders Group. Join the waitlist for the next Authentic Leaders Group cohort. This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now! UPCOMING EVENTS Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs. SUPPORT THE SHOW Sarah's Downloadables Join our Patreon for gifts & perks Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts *** Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website Facebook @headheartbiztherapy Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

AI Can Reduce Symptoms. But Is That Therapy? Ted Faneuff on artificial intelligence, human connection, therapist burnout, and what technology can—and can't—replace. I'm gonna potentially anger some folks, but here I go: I understand that AI has become a moral issue (on top of being an environmental one). That said, while I agree with some of the concerns, the tech does offer major benefits. Don't @ me. You can find plenty of recent episodes where I wrestle with the pros and cons of using artificial intelligence in therapeutic spaces. Add this conversation with Ted Faneuff, LCSW, to that list.  Ted is the clinical operations leader at Upheal, an AI-powered platform that helps therapists manage progress notes, treatment plans, and other daily operations.  We dig into the questions shaping the AI debate and motivations guiding three distinct user groups: therapists who are firmly opposed to AI, therapists who are cautiously curious, and therapists who are already enthusiastically adopting the tech in their practices.  Where would you place yourself on this spectrum? Would anything shift your opinion or usage of AI one way or the other? Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS. Join the waitlist for the next Authentic Leaders Group! This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now! Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show! The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work. So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN. UPCOMING EVENTS Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs. SUPPORT THE SHOW Sarah's Downloadables Join our Patreon for gifts & perks Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts *** Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website Facebook @headheartbiztherapy Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

AI, venture capital, tech platforms, and the fight to preserve quality and human connection in mental health care with Steve Duke, creator of The Hemingway Report. We're at a tipping point in the evolution of our field, especially when it comes to the rapid ascendancy of venture capital, consolidation, and technology—those AI chatbots lurking and learning in the digital shadows.  I sound the alarm not to incite panic but to encourage resistance. We don't have to bow down to the homogeneity of late-stage capitalism. We do have to recalibrate outdated modes of operation and revamp our self-care strategies if we hope to continue providing quality service.    Steve Duke is one of the bright minds I turn to for data-driven inspiration and motivation. He founded The Hemingway Group, a business working with mental health organizations to help them succeed clinically and commercially.  If it still feels like AI is coming for your job, you're not wrong. Capitalism is continually working to optimize any experience for shareholders. But what about consumers? A growing consensus says clients of the behemoth therapy platforms are beginning to seek out quality over cheap access.  To learn more about Steve visit TheHemingwayReport.com Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS. Join the waitlist for the next Authentic Leaders Group! This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now! Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show! The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work. So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN. UPCOMING EVENTS Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs. SUPPORT THE SHOW Sarah's Downloadables Join our Patreon for gifts & perks Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts *** Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website Facebook @headheartbiztherapy Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

Sarah shares an episode from a podcast (and therapist) she'd like to introduce you to: Therapists Unchained with Sivie Suckerman  In this episode of Therapists Unchained, Sivie interviews Sharon Harper, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of the Therapist Resource Institute (TRI). The conversation explores the necessity of reclaiming professional autonomy and building sustainable careers through authentic human connection and systemic advocacy, while also delving into the Therapist Resource Institute as a national platform designed to unify mental health professionals across all licenses and career stages. Harper explains that she created the organization to combat the fragmentation of the field and the growing influence of venture-backed tech platforms that often exploit clinician labor and client data. TRI is a supportive professional community that offers practical tools, such as referral networks and business vetting, while aiming to provide a collective political voice through future lobbying efforts. Thank you to Sivie and Sharon for sharing this conversation from Therapists Unchained with us.  Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS. Join the waitlist for the next Authentic Leaders Group! This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now! Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show! The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work. So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN. UPCOMING EVENTS Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs. SUPPORT THE SHOW Sarah's Downloadables Join our Patreon for gifts & perks Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts *** Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website Facebook @headheartbiztherapy Instagram @headheartbiztherapy