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 work we are proud of?

Ellie and Nancy discuss how she works somatically with clients who have trauma, taking into account their body, physical health, and other elements that make up the whole person in the body.

Nancy shares her approaches to trauma, rituals she relies on to help her through sessions, and how she has built a thriving support network for herself as she’s transitioned into independent practice.

Dr Nancy Bancroft is a HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years experience working therapeutically with psychological and emotional distress, within NHS, academic and private contexts. She currently runs her clinic The Body in the Mind and is a Specialist Member of The Psychology Co-Operative.

You can find out more about Nancy and her work on Instagram and her website.

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 playful character, science-backed insights and experience to create purpose-driven, highly-engaging content for global brands resulting in millions of views.

Zoe shares her unique approach to cultivating happiness through mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and appreciating small moments of joy in her daily life. She also delves into the psychological aspects of happiness, the evolutionary roots of negativity bias, and practical strategies for managing screen time and stress.

You can follow more of Zoe’s work on her website, Instagram and TikTok.

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, neuroscientist, author and founder of Trouble Sleeping.

Dr Browning shares insights on creating optimal sleep environments, strategies to reduce sleep anxiety, and breaks down common sleep myths - it’s not all about deep sleep!

Key topics covered are:

• 03:06 Challenges in the Field of Sleep Therapy
• 06:46 The Importance of Quality Sleep
• 11:17 Understanding Sleep Stages
• 15:32 Sleep and Aging
• 17:34 Menopause and Sleep
• 19:47 Creating Optimal Sleep Conditions
• 26:09 Understanding the Impact of Irregular Sleep Patterns
• 26:35 The Importance of a Consistent Sleep Routine
• 31:39 Techniques to Combat Sleep Anxiety
• 41:17 Workplace Strategies for Better Sleep
• 45:33 Practical Tips for Self-Employed Practice Owners

You can follow Dr Browning on social media @drbrowningsleep and on her website Trouble Sleeping.

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 both movement and getting into the body, as well mental health education and psychotherapy. Essentially, treating people in the bodies they exist in.

Ellie and Kevin also discuss the somatic and psychotherapeutic approaches used at Soma Space, Kevin’s personal journey from journalism to psychotherapy and fitness instruction, and give advice on how to embrace movement as a busy practice owner.

You can find out more about Kevin and Soma Space on their website and Instagram.

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 Counselling Psychologist and Director of Psychology at My Psychology Ireland. Patricia is a firm believer in attending her own therapy, and she shares with Ellie why she believes having your own therapy can make you a better therapist.

You can find Patricia at her practice My Psychology Ireland, on Instagram and Facebook. She is also the host of the Thinking about Therapy podcast.

The Facebook group Patricia mentions in the episode for private psychologists in the UK can be found here.

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 burnout.

They also discuss warning signs to look out for, resources and strategies for help, and most importantly, how to stop burnout happening again.

You can find out more about Katie and her work on her website, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 Welcome to Season Three!

04:13 Katie's Personal Burnout Journey

17:54 The Six Stages of Burnout

23:08 Recognizing Full-Blown Burnout

24:43 Seeking Help and Support

27:05 Understanding Burnout Demographics

29:06 The Financial Impact of Burnout

31:12 Managing Work Pressure and Stress

35:48 Daily Self-Check to Prevent Burnout

39:12 Personal Practices to Combat Burnout

42:22 Conclusion and Resources

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 the latest research and helping to make your founder journey a little less lonely.

Look out for our first episode dropping on 3rd September, and fortnightly thereafter!

Make sure you’re subscribed to The Healthy Practice podcast from WriteUpp, and why not share with a colleague or friend. It might just be the inspiration they need!

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 practice? Well, you may very well be experiencing menopause right now, have people in your personal life who are, or you could be treating patients who are struggling with symptoms. We can all do more to better equip ourselves with this overlooked area of women’s health, and treat patients holistically.

From misdiagnosed symptoms, to advocating for yourself at the GP and the workplace, we cover it all with Dr Rebecca Lewis.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Speaking to your GP about menopause: https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/how-to-talk-to-your-doctor-about-hrt-and-get-results/
• CPD-accredited menopause course: https://www.newsonhealth.co.uk/confidence-in-the-menopause/
• The Balance app: https://www.balance-menopause.com/balance-app/

You can find Newson Health on their website and Instagram, and follow Dr Rebecca Lewis and Dr Louise Newson too.

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 find Sarah on her website, on Instagram, her Substack ‘Therapists Corner,’ and of course her podcast ‘Ask The Therapist Podcast.’

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 to have more of a social impact with your work.

There is so much to learn in this space both as a therapist and a business owner. From funding applications and approaches to therapy, join us for a lovely chat to find out more.

You can follow more of Catherine’s work at https://cup-o-t.co.uk/ and on social media at Cup-O-T Wellness and Therapy Services.

In this episode, Ellie sits down with Bibi Jamison, Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, Relationship Therapist and Coach to discuss how to build and maintain this supportive network.

Having a supportive network around you can mean you’re not facing the big issues by yourself.

You can find out more about Bibi on Instagram at @restoretolove and her website is https://www.restoretolove.co.uk/

You can expect to learn strategies that you can implement to manage stress better and improve your overall well being.

Tina’s services are dedicated to helping people manage and overcome their IBS symptoms. You can find her at https://www.evolve-psychotherapy.co.uk/ or https://www.instagram.com/evolvewithtina

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-catherinesmith/

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 change is right for you.

You can find out more about Margaret on her website: https://sagelondoncounselling.co.uk/ and she's on Instagram @sagelondoncounselling. She also writes advice in the Love Stuck column on Huffington Post.

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 at gavin@cloudfinance.co or get in touch at https://cloudfinance.co/contact.

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 for you.

You can find out more about Johanna here: https://www.twickenhamtherapist.net/.

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 substack here: https://hearttoheartchildtherapy.substack.com/.

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-school/?utm_source=guest-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=writeupp&utm_source_platform=&utm_creative_format=&utm_marketing_tactic=

and her podcast is here - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-of-psychology/id1503339622

You can find out more about Sara here: https://sarahagerman.org/

You can find out more about Anna here: https://psych-va.co.uk/

You can find out more about Glenda here: https://www.counsellingwithglenda.com/

Archna is an award-winning acupuncturist from London. You can find out more about Archna and her clinic at https://www.theacupuncturistsltd.com.

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/.