Between Sessions with Berries

If you’ve ever felt torn between growing your private practice and staying true to your values, this episode is for you. Many mental health professionals step into solo or group practice hoping for more freedom, only to end up overwhelmed and unsure of how to scale sustainably. Alicia Murray, therapist turned business consultant and founder of The Therapist HQ, joins Kym to talk about building a p...

If you're feeling emotionally drained after back-to-back sessions, you're not alone. In this episode, Kym sits down with intuitive business coach Lauren Ashley to talk about nervous system care, energy protection, and why mental health professionals need more than bubble baths to avoid burnout. With over seven years of experience helping impact-driven leaders align mindset and strategy,...

Taking parental leave as a mental health professional can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re running a solo practice. In this episode, psychologist and certified perinatal mental health provider Emily Guarnotta shares her firsthand experiences navigating maternity leave, postpartum mental health, and the return to clinical work. Whether you're planning for your first baby or supporting...

Many therapists enter the field with a passion for helping others, only to find themselves overwhelmed, underpaid, or unsure of how to grow. Whether you're early in your career or ready to expand beyond one-to-one work, this episode offers a roadmap. Kym talks with Manicka Thomas, LISW-S, Clinical Director, content creator, and founder of the Social Work Success Path. Manicka breaks down her...

Burnout, late nights, and a ceiling on your income don't have to be the norm. In this episode, Nicole McCance, a former psychologist turned business coach, shares how she transformed her solo practice into a thriving group of 55 clinicians and built a business that ran without her, all in just three years while raising twins. Her story proves that scaling can create more freedom, not more str...

Tired of staring at a screen just to earn CE credits? There’s a better way. Mental health professionals are seeking education that’s not only accessible but actually supports their well-being and busy schedules. In this episode, Kym sits down with Lisa Mustard, licensed marriage and family therapist, life coach, and creator of audio-based podcourses designed for therapists on the go. Lisa shares h...

Is AI taking over, or can it help us do our work better? If you’ve ever felt uncertain about how artificial intelligence fits into therapy or social work, this episode is a must-listen. Dr. Marina Badillo-Diaz joins Kym to share how she’s helping thousands of social workers and educators ethically and confidently integrate AI into their clinical and academic work. With her background in school adm...

Burnout doesn’t always look like exhaustion. Sometimes it shows up as dread, disconnection, or feeling stuck in a practice that no longer fits. If you're doing everything “right” on paper but still feel misaligned, this episode is for you. Kelly Higdon, LMFT, co-author of Therapist Burnout and co-founder of ZynnyMe and Business School for Therapists, shares her journey from running one of the...

Feeling isolated in your practice or overwhelmed by the pace of tech in mental health? We’ve got good news for you! Berries just launched a new online community designed to help mental health professionals connect, collaborate, and stay supported without adding more to your plate. Geleen Antonio, our new Community Manager inside of Berries, joins Kym in this episode to share how the group came to...

Are you feeling stuck in the therapy grind and wondering if there’s a way out? Licensed psychologist turned business coach Amber Lyda joins Kym to share how she escaped burnout, reclaimed her time, and built a life she truly loves, far from a beige office. In this episode, Amber reflects on her shift to a fully online, private-pay practice and how she transitioned into coaching and course creation...

Burned out by big tech and driven to make a difference, Ken Mallon, LMFT left a decades-long career at companies like Yahoo and Meta to become a licensed marriage and family therapist. Today, he runs a thriving private practice in California that blends systems thinking, clinical care, and AI in therapy. In this conversation, Ken shares how he uses AI to enhance (not replace) his clinical work. Fr...

If you’ve ever wondered how to transition from insurance panels to a thriving private pay practice, this episode is your blueprint. Jessica Harris, therapist turned business coach, shares how she built and sold a six-clinician private pay group practice, and now helps other mental health professionals do the same through her 12-week coaching program. We talk about the mindset shifts, marketing str...

If your practice feels disorganized, your inbox is overflowing, and marketing feels like a second job, this episode is for you. AI strategist and healthcare consultant Geleen Antonio joins the show to share how mental health professionals can streamline their systems, automate the right tasks, and use AI to elevate their work without losing the human touch. With a background in healthcare operatio...

Mental health professionals are feeling the pressure: AI is transforming client care, documentation, and even emotional support. But does this mean the therapist is being replaced? In this episode, Rajeev Kapur—MIT-certified AI expert, three-time CEO, and author of AI Made Simple—joins Kym to explore how generative AI is reshaping therapy and mental health support, for better or worse. Rajeev shar...

Most mental health professionals are trained to respond to crises, not prevent them. But what if we could shift the entire system upstream? In this episode, Nadine Wilches, licensed clinical social worker and founder of MindArch Health, shares her groundbreaking approach to preventive mental health using the EQUIP Model and the 5-Elements of Systemic Wellbeing Framework. Nadine walks us through he...

New grad or not, mental health providers are often thrown into complex cases without enough preparation. From managing diagnostic uncertainty to treating underserved populations, the stakes are high, and support is limited. In this episode, Kym talks with Claire Ellerbrock, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and founder of Stress Free Psych NP, about building clinical confidence, navigating the gray...

Managing a private practice means wearing more hats than you ever expected, including being a bookkeeper. But what if you didn’t have to dread the numbers? In this episode, Kym sits down with Andrea Rotondo, founder of Liquid Cents Bookkeeping, to talk about how mental health professionals can simplify their finances, rebuild QuickBooks, and finally make sense of cash flow. Andrea shares why so ma...

As therapists, we often wonder when to hold steady in the work and when to bring in psychiatric support. In this episode, Dr. Ronald Albucher, psychiatrist and psychotherapy educator, helps unpack that decision. With decades of experience at institutions like Stanford and UCSF, Dr. Albucher explains how to recognize clinical resistance, when to consider medication, and how to collaborate effective...

AI is showing up in everything from marketing tools to therapy sessions. But with all this new tech, one big question remains: will it support therapists or replace them? In this episode, clinical psychologist and mental health tech advisor Dr. Lori Husband joins the show to unpack the evolving relationship between therapists and artificial intelligence. They explore the emotional side of this shi...

Therapists are taught to care for clients, not run a business. So when it comes to marketing, pricing, and attracting private-pay clients, most are flying blind. In this episode of Between Sessions with Berries, Kym sits down with Avivit Fisher, founder of REdD Strategy, to talk about what every therapist should have learned in grad school. From building a brand that speaks to your ideal client to...

You’re showing up for clients, managing endless documentation, and dreaming of more time, more freedom, and maybe even more income streams. Sound familiar? In this debut episode of Between Sessions with Berries, host Kym Tolson sits down with Erin Davis, therapist, coach, and host of Bossing Up: Overcoming OCD podcast, to talk about the real behind-the-scenes of running a sustainable, scalable the...

You’re the one everyone turns to for support. But who supports you? From endless documentation and emotional exhaustion to keeping up with clinical demands, mental health professionals are facing burnout like never before. You’ve tried better systems, stricter boundaries, even thought about leaving, but it still feels overwhelming. That’s why Berries, your AI assistant built for clinicians, create...