The Healthy Practice

Is there a place for AI in your therapy practice? In today’s episode, host Lisa O’Rorke and her guest Sarah D. Rees discuss the pros and cons of AI therapy, and where private practice owners can make use of AI tools to maximise their time. From cutting down administrative burnout with AI scribes, to navigating the ethical and psychological implications of AI companions, Lisa and Sarah explore what...

Welcome back to The Healthy Practice with your brand new host; Lisa O'Rorke. For our first episode of the season, we are sitting down with Dr. Marianne Trent, a clinical psychologist, author and host of the Psychology Actually podcast. We tackle a big question: where is the line between being approachable and oversharing with our clients? Dr Trent shares how she navigates self-disclosure and expla...

In the final episode of our Wellbeing series, Ellie speaks to Dr. Nancy Bancroft about ways to protect yourself when working with trauma. Working with trauma is not without its risks. Many therapists and other professionals who deal with trauma are at risk of developing secondary trauma, and even vicarious trauma long-term. So how can we build methods of protection to keep us safe, whilst pursuing...

Do you find yourself saying ‘once I get past this hurdle, once I have this holiday, I’ll be happy’? Is happiness something to chase, or can we attain it in the everyday? In today’s episode, Ellie discusses approaches to happiness with Zoe Mallett. Zoe is a happiness consultant, psychologist and creator. From crafting emotive content for brands, to elevating business cultures for good, Zoe uses her...

When was the last good night’s sleep you had? If we’re stressed or overworked, sleep is often the first thing that suffers. We all know sleep is integral to our wellbeing, so how can we improve it? Join Ellie as she speaks to sleep expert Dr Lindsay Browning about realistic approaches to improving your sleep habits and overall health. Dr Browning is a UK based chartered psychologist, neuroscientis...

Does talking therapy risk disembodying people? In this episode Ellie discusses the powerful connection between exercise and mental health with Kevin Braddock, Psychotherapist, Fitness Instructor, and Co-Founder of Soma Space. Soma Space is a not-for-profit organisation that combines strength training and exercise with mental health education. Kevin argues the value of creating a space that centres...

In today’s episode we are approaching a topic some of you may find yourself avoiding; the importance of getting therapy as a therapist. Although it is a requirement in many qualifying courses, attending therapy as you progress in your career can be seen as taboo. To interrogate this somewhat uncomfortable topic, Ellie was joined by the wonderful Patricia Barber. Patricia is an HCPC registered Coun...

If you’re working in private practice, chances are you’ve heard of burnout. Or perhaps you are dealing with it right now. Kicking off our wellbeing season, Ellie is joined in this episode by professional coach and burnout expert, Katie Maycock. Katie is founder of Get Your Sh*t Together and GYST Wellbeing. Together they explore why burnout differs from stress, potential causes, and the 6 stages of...

The Healthy Practice is back for Season 3, and this time we’re taking things back to the basics of wellbeing. We know there is so much to juggle when running a practice, and remembering to look after yourself along the way. That’s where we come in. From sleep to burnout, to getting your own therapy as a therapist, Ellie will be chatting with guests who are trailblazers in their field, bringing you...

In our Season 2 finale, Ellie sits down with Dr Rebecca Lewis, Director at Newson Health, to discuss menopause; a topic still considered taboo by many. There is somewhat of a menopause revolution going on. Menopause clinics and therapists are popping up, celebrities are talking about the challenges they’ve faced, and myths about HRT are being busted. But what does this mean for you and your practi...

Will therapists survive AI? How can we embrace the advantages of this technology whilst maintaining our ethical standards? To answer these questions, Ellie is joined by Sarah D Rees, BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and host of the podcast Ask The Therapist. From ChatGPT to Marketing, Data Breaches, and all the ethical concerns AI comes with, we’re going to cover it all. You can fi...

What does it take to run a social enterprise in 2023? Ellie Macdonald is joined by Catherine Gray, Founder and CEO at Cup-O-T, a social enterprise and non-profit organisation focused on offering mental health services to children and young people. Some of you may already be involved in a social enterprise; be that running your own, offering services at one, or perhaps you’ve always had a yearning...

There are so many things to juggle when working for yourself. From setting boundaries with your loved ones, to finding time in your schedule for personal commitments. Having a supportive network in both your professional and personal life is essential to keep you thriving and avoiding burnout. In this episode, Ellie sits down with Bibi Jamison, Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, Relationshi...

Ellie sits down with Tina Wright, the IBS Therapist, to discuss the mind-body connection. Specifically, the impact perfectionism and stress can have on IBS symptoms. Ellie and Tina discuss why healthcare professionals may be prone to stress, ideas of perfectionism, and IBS symptoms. You can expect to learn strategies that you can implement to manage stress better and improve your overall well bein...

Ellie Macdonald speaks with Catherine Smith, Health Copywriter & Email Strategist. Catherine gives us her top Do's and Don'ts for effective email marketing for your healthcare practice. She also covers off why email marketing can be an effective way of building stronger relationships with your clients. Find Catherine over on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjcopysmithagency-catherinesmit...

Ellie Macdonald speaks with Margaret Reiser, a therapeutic counsellor based in London. Interestingly, Margaret wasn't always working in private practice. She’s originally from New York, USA, and was trained as a lawyer. Margaret and Ellie discuss career transitions; from identifying what’s holding us back, financial implications and retraining, to deciding whether making such a drastic career chan...

Ellie Macdonald speaks with Gavin Simpson, CEO and Founder of financial solutions business FourFourFive, and Founder of Cloud Finance, a service offering remote accounting support. Gavin gives us advice on the financial processes that are essential to your practice running smoothly; from the very basics and common stressors, to deciding whether to outsource accounts. You can email Gavin directly a...

Ellie Macdonald speaks with Johanna Sartori, an integrative psychotherapist and supervisor, working with individuals and groups and based in Twickenham. Johanna gives her thoughts on a common dilemma you might be facing: to specialise or not to specialise? From the doors it may open, to the possible constraints, Johanna and Ellie discuss the topic with balance, so you can make the right decision f...

Ellie Macdonald speaks with Emma Bronze, Child and Adolescent Integrative Psychotherapist and Founder of Heart to Heart Child Therapy. Emma and Ellie discuss the best ways to connect with young people. From using metaphors to art and play, Emma has some fantastic advice that can help practitioners in any field in our approaches to working with children and young people. You can read Emma’s substac...

Ellie Macdonald speaks with Dr Rosie Gilderthorp, a Clinical Psychologist, podcaster, writer & award-winning social entrepreneur. Dr Rosie gives us a crash course in Ethical Marketing. It's a topic that’s ever more prevalent in online conversations and one which we hope you’ll find valuable. You can find out more about Rosie here:  https://psychologybusinessschool.com/psychology-business-schoo...

Ellie Macdonald speaks with Sara Hagerman, a registered psychotherapist and counsellor. Sara worked for many years at the NHS, before deciding to make the jump and start her private practice. Ellie and Sara discuss the ins and outs of starting a practice, from finding the right location or working over Zoom to the correct paperwork and insurance needed to get you off the ground You can find out mo...

Ellie Macdonald speaks with Anna Bunch, a Virtual Assistant and director of PSYCH VA, where she provides specialist business support to therapists and psychologists. Together, they discuss how to run your small business, as Anna talks about all the systems and processes needed to help you work as efficiently as possible. The pair also discuss GDPR, patient onboarding, planning weekly tasks and loa...

Ellie Macdonald speaks with Glenda Erwee, a registered psychotherapist based in London & Hertfordshire. Glenda is an experienced private practitioner, and has grown her business from the ground up. She discusses social media and it’s importance of growing a modern day practice, as well as old school methods such as word-of-mouth. If you’re looking at starting your own private practice, this is...

Ellie Macdonald speaks with Archna Patel from The Acupuncturists, a leading acupuncture clinic in London, about how to maintain our wellbeing whilst running a practice. From common challenges health practitioners face, to the importance of sharpening our own axe, we’ve got it covered. Archna is an award-winning acupuncturist from London. You can find out more about Archna and her clinic at https:/...

On our first episode Ellie Macdonald speaks with Jo Aldred on all the things she’d tell her start up-self. From beliefs about money, to the power of mentorship, we’ve got it covered. Jo is a registered and accredited psychotherapist and an EMDR Therapist based in Brighton. You can find out more about Jo at https://kemptowncounselling.co.uk/ and she also runs https://www.emdrtherapybrighton.co.uk/...