This week, we're sharing a conversation originally recorded for The Innovative Therapist with Shawn Hondorp.

What started as a typical podcast interview quickly became a conversation that helped me better understand my own work (thank you very much!) We talk about how chronic shame disconnects us from our agency, why therapists need to be honest about power dynamics, and what happens when we stop trying to "arrive" at healing and instead embrace the lifelong journey of becoming.

• Why personal power and agency are essential to healing from developmental trauma

• How therapists unintentionally recreate harmful power dynamics in therapy and workplace settings

• The connection between chronic shame and self-abandonment

• Why therapists must prioritize their own healing work

• How creativity, play, spirituality, and community can become powerful pathways to transformation

If you've ever felt frustrated by the limitations of traditional therapy, exhausted by workplace dynamics, or curious about what authentic healing really looks like, I think you'll find something meaningful here.

Originally aired on The Innovative Therapist podcast in 2026. Many thanks to Shawn Hondorp for the invitation and conversation. If you haven't already, check out her show and add it to your listening playlist.

The Innovative Therapist Retreat October 2026 with Shawn Hondorp

Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS.

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!

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

You know how I'm always encouraging therapists to sit with the unknown? Well, fair warning: this episode may test your limits in the same way that a good fitness coach might test your stamina.

It's time for the AI conversation.

• AI's growing role in therapy, healing, and emotional support

• Why loneliness and disconnection make AI companions appealing

• What human therapists can offer that AI can't replicate

• How therapists may need to evolve in an AI-driven future

• The importance of community, embodiment, and real connection

Maybe therapists can't counter all of our dystopian daydreams, but we can expand our capacity to connect.

Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS.

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!

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

You know how we are always talking about dismantling harmful systems on this podcast? Well…what happens when those systems show up inside group practices?

This conversation with Andie Baumgartner and Nadia Parfenova from Rowan Tree Counseling goes deep into the complicated, emotionally loaded relationship between practice owners and employees. And, in fact, it was THE conversation that helped me realize we needed to work with employees as well as business owners in the Group Practice (R)evolution!

Topics include:

• Therapist burnout and workplace trauma

• Transparency, hierarchy, and power dynamics

• Why trust feels so difficult in therapy workplaces

• The emotional realities of group practice ownership

• Risk tolerance, private practice culture, and clinician anxiety

From the fear many clinicians carry into the workplace to the pressure practice owners feel holding entire businesses together, we unpack what's happening behind the scenes in the therapy industry and what it might actually take to build healthier, more sustainable working relationships.

Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS.

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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.

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