The Practice of Therapy Podcast

Therapists spend a lot of time encouraging clients to slow down, practice mindfulness, and become more aware of what they need—but practicing those same things in our own lives can be much harder. In this episode, Gordon talks with Debi Trent Brown about mindfulness beyond meditation, the importance of creating small moments of joy, and what it means to live more authentically. They explore how the "rules" we pick up from family, culture, and society can quietly shape our choices, why pausing before we respond can help us better understand ourselves, and how consistency—not perfection—builds self-trust. Debi also shares practical ways therapists can become more grounded and intentional in everyday life while learning to practice more of what we preach. Resources Mentioned In This Episode  Subscribe to YouTube Read the show notes here Watch on YouTube Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free Consulting with Gordon The PsychCraft Network Follow us on Instagram Meet Debi Trent Brown Debi Trent Brown is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who believes deeply in the power of human connection and the importance of creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard and supported. Using a collaborative, solution-focused approach, Debi helps clients build self-confidence, strengthen coping skills, practice mindfulness, and develop greater trust in their own inner voice and intuition. Her areas of focus include anxiety, depression, self-esteem, stress management, addiction, negative thinking, anger management, grief, communication, and decision-making. Debi is especially passionate about helping people become more present, grounded, and intentional in their everyday lives while learning to recognize the things that bring them joy and create meaningful change. Website https://debitrentbrowntherapy.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/presentlygrounded/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/deborah.afs

What happens when being "successful" in private practice starts to look a lot like burnout? In this episode, Gordon talks with James Marland about the three traps that can keep therapists stuck in one-on-one work: the clock trap, calendar trap, and couch trap. They unpack why being fully booked isn't always the same as being free, and how tying your income, time, and impact entirely to client hours can eventually become exhausting. James also shares practical ways therapists can begin thinking beyond traditional one-on-one work through workshops, courses, trainings, and other resources that allow their expertise to reach more people. The conversation covers protecting your calendar, testing new ideas without a huge upfront investment, and using the knowledge you already have in a way that creates more flexibility and impact. If you've ever felt like your schedule is running your life—or wondered how to grow without simply adding more clients—this episode offers a different way to think about success in private practice. Resources Mentioned In This Episode  Subscribe to YouTube Watch on YouTube Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free Consulting with Gordon The PsychCraft Network Follow us on Instagram Meet James Marland James Marland helps therapists expand their impact beyond one-on-one clinical work by creating additional income streams through workshops, courses, and other scalable resources. He is the host of the Scaling Therapist podcast and works with therapists to turn their expertise into practical offerings that can reach more people without adding more hours to their schedules. Through Course Creation Studio, James also helps with the strategy and behind-the-scenes tech needed to launch and run workshops and courses. Email James: [email protected] Website LinkedIn Scaling Therapist Podcast

One of the things I've learned over the years is that the work we feel most drawn to often has some connection to our own experiences. That doesn't mean our story becomes the center of the therapy room, but it can absolutely shape the populations we care about, the problems we notice, and the kind of practice we want to build. In this episode, I talk with Hannah Short about how her own experiences with eating disorder recovery and postpartum helped shape her clinical niche. We also get into thoughtful self-disclosure, creating a practice where clients feel genuinely understood, moving from virtual work into an in-person office, and using systems and AI to make solo practice a little more manageable. There's a lot here about finding meaningful work, building a practice around it, and remembering that sometimes the best clues about your niche are already part of your story. Watch on YouTube Resources Mentioned In This Episode  Subscribe to YouTube Read the show notes here Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free Consulting with Gordon The PsychCraft Network Follow us on Instagram Meet Hannah Short, LCSW, BCBC Hannah Short, LCSW, Board-Certified Bariatric Counselor, is the founder of Rooted & Nourished Psychotherapy, a solo private practice in Waco, Texas, offering in-person and virtual therapy services across Texas. She specializes in women's mental health, body image, eating disorders, bariatric surgery preparation and recovery, perinatal and postpartum support, and trauma-informed care, including EMDR. Hannah has struggled with her own eating disorder and is 10 years in recovery. She also built her practice while navigating her own postpartum journey, bringing both lived and professional expertise to her work with women in transition. She's known for her direct, relatable approach both in clinical work and through her "Between Sessions" newsletter and content. Her mission is to create space for women's stories without shame, diet culture, or clinical distance. Website Instagram TikTok

When therapists think about branding, it's easy to immediately think about logos, fonts, colors, and websites. But your brand is so much more than what your practice looks like online. It is also the feeling people get when they encounter you, the story they associate with you, and ultimately, whether they feel like they can trust you. In this episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Ritu Riedweg about personal branding, marketing, and what therapists can do to make their practices easier to find and easier to connect with. Ritu brings an interesting perspective to this conversation because her career has crossed both the marketing and therapy worlds. She originally studied social work before building a career in marketing, branding, and design. Later, after experiencing the transformational impact of therapy in her own life, she trained as a therapist herself. Eventually, she realized she could combine those two areas of experience by helping other therapists become more effective at marketing and branding their practices. Resources Mentioned In This Episode  Subscribe to YouTube Read the show notes here Watch on YouTube Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free Consulting with Gordon The PsychCraft Network Follow us on Instagram Meet Ritu Riedweg Ritu Riedweg is a brand strategist, web designer, and personal branding expert who helps therapists, coaches, and healers stand out online, get found on Google, and connect with their ideal clients. With a background spanning marketing, coaching, therapy, and web design, Ritu brings both strategy and a deep understanding of the helping professions to her work. After building her own therapy practice, Ritu returned to her marketing roots and launched a personal branding and website agency focused on helping heart-centered professionals build businesses that reflect who they are and the people they are called to serve. Her approach blends thoughtful branding, clear strategy, and authentic storytelling to create an online presence that feels personal, professional, and aligned. Website LinkedIn Instagram

Working with high-risk teens can feel overwhelming, especially when self-harm, suicidal thoughts, emotional dysregulation, or repeated hospitalizations are part of the picture. So how can therapists provide both compassion and structure without letting fear drive the treatment? In this episode, Gordon talks with Katie K. May about working effectively with high-risk teens and their families. Katie shares why validation matters, how therapists can provide strong clinical leadership, and why caregiver involvement is such an important part of the process. They also discuss proactive safety planning, recognizing patterns before a crisis, helping teens build skills they can actually use outside the therapy room, and why therapists need clear frameworks and support when doing high-risk clinical work. Katie also shares ideas from her book, Teen DBT in Practice, including how therapists can help teens move toward a life worth living while creating more confidence and sustainability in the work. Resources Mentioned In This Episode  Subscribe to YouTube Read the show notes here Watch on YouTube Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free Consulting with Gordon The PsychCraft Network Follow us on Instagram Meet Katie K. May Katie K. May is a licensed therapist, author, speaker, trainer, and group practice owner whose mission is to stop the revolving door of hospitalizations for teen self-harm, suicidal behaviors, and shutdowns by giving families and clinicians practical tools that create lasting change. She is the founder of Creative Healing, a multi-location teen support center in the Philadelphia area, and the author of the #1 Amazon best-seller You're On Fire, It's Fine: Effective Strategies for Parenting Teens with Self-Destructive Behaviors. Her second book, Teen DBT in Practice, provides clinicians with a practical framework for applying DBT with adolescents and moving beyond surface-level behavior management toward meaningful, lasting change. One of a select few Linehan ("Lynn-a-hayn") Board-Certified DBT Clinicians in Pennsylvania, Katie specializes in evidence-based treatment for self-harm, suicidal behaviors, and complex emotional challenges in teens. She is an ongoing guest expert on Good Day Philadelphia, where she shares practical guidance on teen and parent mental health. Known for her clinical practicality and lived experience as a teen who once turned to self-harm herself, Katie bridges the gap between the therapy room and the family living room. Her work helps parents and professionals decode behavior as survival, regulate the nervous system, and create new coping strategies that last because the whole family is integrated into the treatment plan. Website Instagram Treating High-Risk Teens Course Teen DBT in Practice: A Comprehensive Guide for Therapists Treating High-Risk Behaviors How to Assess Teen Suicide Risk