Conversations With a Wounded Healer

In this special 9th birthday episode of Conversations With a Wounded Healer, Sarah Buino and Lane Essex explore healing at every level—from individual mental health to group practice dynamics and systemic transformations in the therapy field. What does it mean to sustain a therapy career in these challenging times, while embracing authentic and clinical leadership approaches that foster collective healing and healthy organizations? This episode offers insight for therapists interested in evolving their practice and creating meaningful change within mental healthcare systems. Learn how therapists can stay alive and responsive to whatever comes up in the field, supporting both their clients and themselves with resilience and compassion. *** Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026. 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 Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

A funeral director turned therapist on meaning-making, unfinished business, and why grief needs more truth and less cheerleading. Ready for a life-affirming episode about death? I'm excited to introduce you to my longtime friend Rachel Hauck. She's a funeral director and embalmer. After 20 years in business, she's decided to go back to school to become a therapist. I love chatting with people who are in midlife career shifts. Why did she make the switch? How will her previous career shape her identity as a therapist? What sets this conversation apart from the hushed, almost embarrassed way folks often talk about death is our openness around its emotional messiness. We go beyond Kübler-Ross's model to consider those carrying complex or "untraditional" feelings of grief (think: Jeanette McCurdy). All experiences are welcome here. GUEST BIO Rachel Hauck (she/her) has served families as a licensed funeral director/embalmer in the state of Florida for the last 20 years. She is currently completing a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Nova Southeastern University and hopes to develop a signature program in prolonged grief therapy. Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026. 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. SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

When the world is burning, old business paradigms collapse—here's what replaces them. Self-assessment time. For group practice owners: Do your internal systems align with the company's client-facing messaging? For group practice employees: Is fear (of failure, of retaliation) holding you back from calling out harmful behaviors or leaving altogether? Alicia Murray, LMHCD, is the creator of Therapist HQ, a digital platform for therapists ready to transition into entrepreneurship. I invited Alicia to discuss how group practice employees can protect themselves against extractive policies and how group practice owners can revamp their misaligned structures. GUEST BIO Alicia Murray, LMHCD, based out of Syracuse, NY, is a group practice owner and consultant for therapists going into private practice. In-between sessions, you can find her binging TLC shows, spending time with her husband and two young children, or hitting up her favorite coffee shops and ice cream stands. Free resources for therapists are available here. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! Or join our 2026 Authentic Leaders Group and get 1 year of GP(R) membership for FREE! Next Authentic Leaders Group cohort starts May 1, 2026. 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! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

Trauma-informed leadership, psychological safety, and accountability in group practice culture. The TL;DR takeaway from today's episode is: to change the systems and institutions harming us, we must commit to the work. All of it, the intra- and interpersonal. Poonam Natha can help us with this assignment. She views "the work" as a lifelong process of balancing individualism and collectivism rather than choosing one over the other. Poonam's nuanced opinion is rooted in her lived experience as the eldest daughter of immigrant parents and a self-described cycle-breaker. GUEST BIO Poonam Natha, LMFT, is a co-founder of Level Up Leaders Inc. She aims to support group practice owners to cultivate psychological safety values-aligned workplaces by stepping into their authentic leadership with clarity, compassion, and courage. Along with her co-founder, Julianne Guso, their philosophy of trauma-informed leadership begins with honoring your own humanity so you can honor the humanity of your team. Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026. 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. SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

Shawn Hondorp on creativity, IFS protector parts, and building a practice that actually feels alive. This episode is your practical guide to feeling alive in messy times. But "feeling" is only part of the equation. "Doing" is what drives change. It transforms our private creative practices into a collective, disruptive force. Shawn Hondorp, PhD., is a maven of creativity and as the creator of The Innovative Therapist podcast and community, she supports therapists and helpers in creating the work that feels fully alive and authentic, blending psychology, creativity, and courageous self-trust. Shawn's deeply personal healing journey continues to shape her professional pursuits. What started as "research" eventually became "me-search" as clinical insights gave way to growing comfort with vulnerability. GUEST BIO Shawn Hondorp, PhD., is a community builder, retreat host, and adventurer who has gradually forged her own path away from an academic career as a board-certified clinical psychologist. As the creator of The Innovative Therapist podcast and community, she helps therapists and helpers create work that feels fully alive and authentic—blending psychology, creativity, and courageous self-trust to inspire more sustainable, joyful ways of living and working. Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026. 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. SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

From Boomer Hierarchies to Gen Z Autonomy, revolutionary communication insights for owners, managers, and clinicians in group practice. This episode slaps. No cap. No, I didn't have a stroke. That's my Gen X attempt at fitting in with Gen Z. Whatever! Seriously, though, let's get to the heart of what's brewing in group practices right now: intergenerational tension. My guest, Calle Foster, professionals go from quiet contributors to confident, influential, credible leaders. Calle has graciously agreed to be our Millennial and GenZ cipher. They're the groups she coaches most often. GUEST BIO Calle Foster (she/her) spent over a decade in corporate Learning & Development before becoming a speaker and three-time certified leadership coach. She now equips Millennial and Gen Z professionals with the confidence, clarity, and people skills to lead with real impact. Her coaching blends honesty, strategy, and self-awareness to help rising leaders thrive. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

What 2026 astrology reveals about responsibility and power. This episode of Conversations With a Wounded Healer is for you if: you feel paralyzed by current events, yet hopeful you throw major side-eye at the phrase "unprecedented times" you think astrology can help us forge a better future for all Or, as my guest Steve Judd puts it, "Astrology has outlasted every religion, empire, and political system. It's been around since humanity got off its knuckles on the East African plains, looked up at the sky and went, Wow! I can see patterns there!" GUEST BIO Steve Judd is an astrologer with 45 years of experience, specializing in character analysis, relationship dynamics, and future exploration. Entirely self-taught, he has completed more than 40,000 readings and built a global audience through media appearances and YouTube. His direct, personable approach and long-standing expertise make him a respected voice in modern astrology. SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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 Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026. 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.

The end-of-year mental health-related assessments are in and, y'all. You. All! These reports offer some bad news and worse news. Sorry, I ran out of sugar-coating; it's been a long year. Psychotherapy Action Network's latest survey uncovered a substantial disconnect between what PMCs, for-profit private management companies like Alma, Headway, and Rula, promise therapists and what they deliver. Shocker, I know. While demand for mental health is exploding, power and influence are shifting to insurers and investors at the expense of patients and providers. But we possess the answers. We're a community of people dedicated to healing ourselves and caring for others in a world that's always one dictator away from total collapse. Don't let fear and loneliness lead you. We can only get through this shit together. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! Get Support! Earn CEs! Care in Chaos: https://tinyurl.com/CareInChaosRec Bridging Heart and Practice: https://tinyurl.com/TheSarahsOnlineSupe SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

Gen Z is at the mic, and they have some thoughts. I can feel my fellow "olds" getting their hackles up. But, hold on! I'm asking all of us to stay curious, regardless of generational or career-stage identity. Isn't that what we instruct our clients to do when faced with new information or complicated emotions? Time to take our own advice! Maddie Tonjes, LCSW, is an early-career therapist at Centered Therapy Chicago with keen insights into what her generational cohort needs to thrive. And, honestly? I'm here for two suggestions in particular: creating space for client population preference to develop and fostering shame resilience related to the learning curve. GUEST BIO Maddie Tonjes, LCSW, (she/her) is passionate about creating a space for healing and growth through empathy, warmth, and vulnerability. She is also the Coordinator of Play + Expressive Therapies at Centered Therapy Chicago, focusing on supporting fellow clinicians in engaging in creative and play-based work with clients of all ages. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! Get Support! Earn CEs! Care in Chaos: https://tinyurl.com/CareInChaosRec Bridging Heart and Practice: https://tinyurl.com/TheSarahsOnlineSupe SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

Before pursuing a career as a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and founder of Fermata Psychotherapy, a psychoanalytic group practice in Chicago, Santiago Delboy, MBA, LCSW, spent over a decade climbing the corporate ladder in the US and his home country of Peru. The shift forced him to grapple with the "disagreeable" parts of himself. In a nod to the educational children's shows of old, this episode is brought to you by the word "becoming." Part two of my conversation with Santiago explores the art of becoming, a process he defines as connecting with our authentic self. GUEST BIO Santiago Delboy, MBA, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and founder of Fermata Psychotherapy, a psychoanalytic group practice in Chicago. He has provided clinical supervision and consultation at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis, the Institute for Clinical Social Work, and The Family Institute at Northwestern University. Prior to becoming a clinician, he spent over a decade working in the corporate world in Peru, his home country, and the U.S. His publications include essays in Psychoanalytic Dialogues, Psychoanalytic Inquiry, Revista de la Sociedad Peruana de Psicoanálisis, Aeon, and Psychology Today. Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! Get Support! Earn CEs! Care in Chaos: https://tinyurl.com/CareInChaosRec Bridging Heart and Practice: https://tinyurl.com/TheSarahsOnlineSupe SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

All of us show up with multiple identities (partner, parent, revolutionary, etc.). How do we, as therapists, get better at existing in discomfort and creating space where everyone can explore without rushing to define themselves? Santiago Delboy, MBA, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and founder of Fermata Psychotherapy, a psychoanalytic group practice in Chicago. I consider Santiago a true in-betweener (or, n'betweener©, the term coined by previous guest Nora Alwah for those who, like herself, feel suspended between two (or more) identities; not fully inhabiting one or the other). My assessment isn't an indictment; it's an invitation. How can we transmute the discomfort of the unknown into collective growth? GUEST BIO Santiago Delboy, MBA, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and founder of Fermata Psychotherapy, a psychoanalytic group practice in Chicago. He has provided clinical supervision and consultation at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis, the Institute for Clinical Social Work, and The Family Institute at Northwestern University. Prior to becoming a clinician, he spent over a decade working in the corporate world in Peru, his home country, and the U.S. His publications include essays in Psychoanalytic Dialogues, Psychoanalytic Inquiry, Revista de la Sociedad Peruana de Psicoanálisis, Aeon, and Psychology Today. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

Scan any therapists' forum and you'll discover that the operational strategies that group practices have relied on no longer work. Could organizing principles like collaboratives, collectives, and cooperatives offer group practices new ways to thrive? Uriah Guilford, MFT, thinks so! He has had success bucking the industry's tried-and-true practice model. Uriah's evolution from traditional group practice owner to collaborative model speaks to his willingness to take on risks within reason. GUEST BIO Uriah Guilford, MFT, is a licensed therapist and a group practice owner. He's also the author of The Productive Practice book and the Head Nerd at Productive Therapist, a virtual assistant company that serves therapists in private practice. He's a technology nerd, a minimalist travel packer, and a rock drummer. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

The answer to righting the world's many wrongs is more love. Love is also the problem. If you're new here, then solving this conundrum may seem hopeless. Fear not! In part one of my conversation with Michael Sykes, we began with a simple question: How can we encourage ideas or policies rich in love for each other when so many of us struggle to love ourselves? In part two, Michael and I dig into the societal pressures, inherited traumas, and self-doubts that have disconnected us from our authentic loving natures. GUEST BIO Michael Sykes is the founder of Equitable Solutions and author of the workbook Easy Equity. He guides individuals and organizations in centering self-value and affirmations as the foundation for equity. His work is rooted in vulnerability and authenticity, offering tools that encourage reflection, mindfulness, and intentional practices for healing and growth. Inspired by the love and resilience of his family, Sykes dedicates his journey to creating spaces where people feel seen, validated, and empowered to honor themselves and others. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

Some people remind us to trust the process, even when it seems hopeless. Michael Sykes is one of those people. He's the cheerleader encouraging us on the uneasy journey to authenticity. What I appreciate most is his commitment to integrity, even when the path toward that innate wholeness feels inaccessible. He doesn't shy away from sharing the most heart-centered version of himself with the world. Sure, he may metaphorically faceplant from time to time (who hasn't?!). But, Michael stays the course—and he's created a guide to help us do the same. GUEST BIO Michael Sykes is the founder of Equitable Solutions and author of the workbook Easy Equity. He guides individuals and organizations in centering self-value and affirmations as the foundation for equity. His work is rooted in vulnerability and authenticity, offering tools that encourage reflection, mindfulness, and intentional practices for healing and growth. Inspired by the love and resilience of his family, Sykes dedicates his journey to creating spaces where people feel seen, validated, and empowered to honor themselves and others. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

Chats with group practice employees are more fun when you’re not their practice owner! Maybe a bit more revealing, too. Such is the case with my guest, Sierra Waller, LCPC, an early-career therapist working at Health In Tandem, a small group practice in Chicago. Apologies if you’ve landed here hoping for a gripe-and-gossip session. Instead, Sierra and I dig into her experiences as a newer therapist in a group practice setting. This trajectory from grad school straight into private practice has become increasingly common. Subsequently, there’s a learning curve to be aware of on both sides of the owner/therapist dynamic. GUEST BIO Sierra Waller is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor at a small group practice in Chicago. She primarily works with clients navigating anxiety, stress, life transitions, and relationship issues. Guided by the belief that mental health deserves the same care as physical health, Sierra fosters a collaborative, non-judgmental space where clients can explore patterns, identify strengths, and take meaningful steps toward growth. Originally from Colorado, Sierra enjoys spending time in nature when she isn’t in the therapy room. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on “have a coupon” and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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 do leaders keep their heads clear and hearts open in the heat of difficult conversations? I ask because it’s only natural for leaders (and any human, really) to bristle at opposition to their ideas, critique of their efforts, or recommendations for improvement. Being in community with each other requires a high level of mutual responsibility. But the practice of accountability can activate deeply entrenched defense mechanisms, even in the most self-aware among us (note to self). In part two of my conversation with Julianne Guinasso, LMFT, and co-founder of Level Up Leaders, we explore the challenges leaders face as they try to balance the needs of the collective and the desires of the individual. GUEST BIO Julianne Guinasso is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice and co-founder of Level Up Leaders Inc., where she partners with Poonam Natha to support group practice owners in cultivating psychological safety through trauma-informed leadership. With over a decade of leadership experience, she helps practice owners move beyond performative policies to tend their relational ecosystems, creating collaborative cultures that reclaim joy and sustain vision. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on “have a coupon” and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

Outward change (to our profession, our communities, and our world) can only happen when we start from within—and we're gonna need all the help we can get. Julianne Guinasso, LMFT, is a role model for these contentious times. She's a therapist in private practice and the co-founder of Level Up Leaders, a partnership that helps mental health group practice owners cultivate psychologically safe, trauma-informed work cultures. Our two-part conversation begins with an honest assessment of the "becoming" process and offers some helpful reframes for when things feel especially sticky. GUEST BIO Julianne Guinasso is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice and co-founder of Level Up Leaders Inc., where she partners with Poonam Natha to support group practice owners in cultivating psychological safety through trauma-informed leadership. With over a decade of leadership experience, she helps practice owners move beyond performative policies to tend their relational ecosystems, creating collaborative cultures that reclaim joy and sustain vision. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on “have a coupon” and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

I'll start by stating the obvious. Being a group practice owner or group practice therapist in "unprecedented times" is a challenging endeavor. Our people and profession are struggling under the pressures of late-stage capitalism, antagonistic politics, and rage-bait algorithms —the same forces that affect our clients. I'll follow up the obvious with a hard truth. Some of the ills are coming from inside the house, er, practice. I believe in the good and essential aspects of the group practice model. I also believe that the only way out is through. And together. As does Gabrielle Juliano-Villani. She's a business mindset coach and consultant who helps therapy practice owners scale, sell, and thrive without burning out. GUEST BIO Gabrielle Juliano-Villani is a business mindset coach and consultant who helps therapy practice owners scale, sell, and thrive without burning out. After successfully selling her own 7-figure group practice, she now combines her clinical expertise as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with proven business strategies to help other practice owners create sustainable success. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on “have a coupon” and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

Are you an in-betweener? Before you answer, I recommend queuing up part one of my conversation with Nora Alwah, LPC, the coach, therapist, TEDx speaker, and community-builder. She coined the term n’betweener© to describe those who, like herself, feel suspended between two (or more) identities; not fully inhabiting one or the other. In part two, Nora and I explore ways that folks can expand their capacity for understanding in a world that increasingly devalues the experiences of in-betweeners. GUEST BIO Nora Alwah (she/her) - Coach. Therapist. TEDx speaker. Writer. Community-builder. Nora Alwah is the founder of n’betweener®, a global platform and space of belonging for those who don’t fit the mold—often misunderstood, frequently overlooked, and always n’between. Through n’betweener®, she helps outliers feel seen, come home to themselves, and step into their purpose. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on “have a coupon” and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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

Many of us know what it feels like to navigate a middle space. Folks who are gender-fluid come to mind. But I’m also thinking of those who balance a privileged identity with their relationship to a traditionally oppressed group. Or anyone whose ethnicity is not commonly associated with the culture in which they grew up. How do we express this complicated identity in terms that others might understand or empathize with? Nora Alwah, founder of n’betweener©, a global platform and space of belonging, helps folks voice their truth and transform the pain of being an in-betweener into revolutionary joy. GUEST BIO Nora Alwah (she/her) - Coach. Therapist. TEDx speaker. Writer. Community-builder. Nora Alwah is the founder of n’betweener®, a global platform and space of belonging for those who don’t fit the mold—often misunderstood, frequently overlooked, and always n’between. Through n’betweener®, she helps outliers feel seen, come home to themselves, and step into their purpose. *** Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on “have a coupon” and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year! SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch 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