The Benefit of the Doubt

I’ve mentioned being wholly Team Locke so this post shouldn’t be a huge surprise. I’ve noticed a pattern in some folks as they’re in that scary building stage: a propensity to jump headlong into conclusions. I want to create a little structure to protect you from that because it’s not who you are and what you’re about (if it was you’d probably be super-annoyed by me all the time and likely unsubscribe pretty quickly). Here are the top 3 ways I see this show up & suggestions on how to give the b…

Read more…

Self-care-An Ethical Imperative for Helping Professionals

Jamie Stacks and I have been internet friends for what feels like a long time. Jamie has been a staunch advocate for self care, not just through her awesome Facebook Group REAL Self-Care for Therapists,  but also through the way she interacts with people, the example she sets, and the passion she has for making sure we’re taking care of ourselves so we can do great work. She’s someone to follow if you, like me, have flirted with burnout or questioned if you can keep doing what you’re doing. I lo…

Read more…

Pacing Yourself

It’s so easy to go full throttle when you get excited about something. I’m the last one to tell you to dampen your enthusiasm… if you’ve know me at all you know my excitability and passion are not the most easily containable. But here’s the deal: we only have so much time and energy. There are 1 million different ways to market your private practice but that doesn’t mean you have to do all of them. I’d so much rather you go deep on a few activities than to spread yourself, and your message, too…

Read more…

Full Practice, New Problems

When I was in my early 20’s I overheard a strikingly beautiful woman complain about being gorgeous. I had absolutely zero empathy for her (or myself for like, anything). Her statements stuck in my head though and I now feel not just empathy, but awe at her vulnerability. From a more secure, mature perspective, I can totally see how being bikini-model-hot at 20 would make it hard to meet someone who gave a shit about who you were on the inside. It wasn’t a humble brag; she was just stating a fact…

Read more…

You Don't Need A Consultant

In a facebook group I watched the unfolding of one of variations of the “consultants aren’t helpful and are out for your money” conversation. I watch these with interest and a tinge of fear. Is it me they’re talking about? Do they think I’m one of the money-grubbers who takes advantage? So, let me be 100% totally clear: You don’t need a consultant. You can build your practice without one just fine. I don’t want anyone to get the impression that they’re going to crash and burn without the …

Read more…

Supporting Suicide Survivors With Nate Wagner

When Nate Wagner and I first spoke in 2015 I was struck by his passion for his practice and supporting those who have lost loved ones to suicide. His memoir, Sibling Suicide: Journey from Despair to Hope, tells his story from his perspective as a brother and as a clinician. He is very generously offering the first two chapters for free here (though I suggest you buy the whole thing). Suicide is one of those issues that most of us therapists are very uncomfortable with. With the holiday season, …

Read more…

You May Be Working Too Hard

I started out 2016 with a blog post called 2016: The Year of Not Hustling. At the time I wrote that I was in therapy and working really hard to divorce my self-worth from my “achievements”. Like my clients with Anorexia, every time I hit a goal I set another, more intense one. And because I was hitting my mark I was getting positively reinforced for it. Workaholism is real. Obsessive drive is about more than wanting to do what I love, provide for my family, fear of failure. Like most addictive b…

Read more…

Why We're All Gryffindors

Harry Potter has been there for me in a way few fictional characters have. When life gets tough and I need a break from the toughness, I need something all consuming to distract me and Harry and crew provide that. Also, in that whole “which 3 fictional characters are you” thing that went around social media a while back, I’m like 25% Hermione and 75% Leslie Knope. (I never posted that because is says “which THREE” and I’m a rule follower, obvi.) Anyway, that’s to say it’s not just Harry and …

Read more…

Work/Life Balance?

My tender-hearted, sweet, funny three year old doesn’t sleep. I mean she DOES, but it’s an all night struggle that involves 3 of the 4 humans in our house and sometime the dog. My 7 month old sleeps a little better; typical for a kid her age who has been sleep-crutched for her entire life. Like many parents of young kids, I haven’t slept through the night in over 8 months except one blissful night. I have an amazing husband. He’s funny and smart and hot and will absolutely hate this paragrap…

Read more…

How You Do Life Is How You Do Business

If you’ve been on my email list for more than 2 days, you’ve seen that on the first of every month there’s an opportunity for free consulting. Usually 30-40 spots open up and are claimed within minutes (which totally makes me feel like Bono, or whoever the kids are listening to these days).   Let me tell you about the hate-mail I get about this: Every month, without fail, at least one person sends me an email along the lines of “there’s nothing available and you should have more open for …

Read more…

Due to a website migration, historic links pre-fall 2022 may be broken; please get in touch for new links. Please also note that historic podcast episodes may contain out-of-date information and highlight sponsors that we no longer work with.