Good Enough Counsellors

This episode continues last month’s discussion on why clients don’t always follow therapists on social media. In Part 1, I talked about how professional language can unintentionally create distance between therapists and potential clients. In this episode, I zoom out a little. Because it’s not just about the words we use - it’s about how people experience our content emotionally.
Clients don’t follow therapists because they’re impressed. They follow when they feel understood.
Takeaways
Why social media can feel exposing and discouraging for therapists
How fear of judgement can make our posts sound careful or stilted
Why tone matters just as much as language
How small moments of appropriate self-disclosure can build connection
Why clients often follow for a while before making contact
How consistency over time helps people decide whether they feel safe with you

I also share examples from my own experience, including how story-based posts help people relate to you rather than feeling talked at.
At the end of the episode, I also share four simple themes you could use for March, based on upcoming awareness days:
Safety, harm, and being believed
Identity, visibility, and inclusion
Rest, regulation, and wellbeing
Care, connection, and unseen roles

And a reminder that in Therapy Growth Group, we're about to embark on Find Your Focus, including the Make Your Profile Work intensive week. This will help you shape your social media and blog posts to speak to the people you most want to reach.
Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
You can also find me here:
The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group
Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
Keywords: social media, therapists, client engagement, authenticity, emotional connection, content ideas, March themes, overcoming challenges, building trust, managing responses
The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or

In this episode, I’m joined by Claire Hendrickson, a neurodivergent therapist who has built her private practice in a way that truly works for her.
Rather than rushing, pushing, or following someone else’s formula, Claire has grown her practice at her own pace, listening to her nervous system and respecting her capacity. Over time, her steady and compassionate approach has led to a busy, sustainable practice.
We talk openly about what it means to do private practice differently, especially if you’re neurodivergent, carry complex identity experiences, or feel pressure to be further ahead than you are.
This conversation is for anyone who quietly worries they’re behind, doing it wrong, or taking too long.
In this episode, we explore:
What it looks like to build a private practice at your own pace
How working with your nervous system supports growth
The pressure therapists feel to rush or meet external expectations
Navigating recognition and visibility when you’re neurodivergent
Claire also shares her experience as a member of Therapy Growth Group, and how having gentle, accessible support helped her move forward without overwhelming herself.

You can find Claire via her website HERE
Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
You can also find me here:
The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group
Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.
Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

This 100th episode is a pause to reflect on what happens when you keep going, even when you don’t feel ready.
In conversation with Natasha, who has edited the podcast from the very beginning, I look back over how The Good Enough Counsellors podcast grew from small, tentative steps into something that now reaches therapists around the world. But more importantly, we talk about what this journey can teach us about private practice, confidence, visibility, and the legacy we leave through our work.
This episode is about the power of ordinary stories, trusting that small actions add up, and recognising that the work you do as a therapist can ripple out far beyond what you see day to day. We reflect on the power of everyday people doing meaningful work, and why showing up, imperfectly, really does make a difference.
In this episode, we cover
What 100 episodes has taught me about starting before you feel ready
Why small, consistent steps matter in private practice
The importance of letting people know how they can work with you
How sharing your voice can help build confidence and connection
Lessons from guest conversations about anxiety, self doubt, and diversity
Why hearing marginalised voices matters in therapy and beyond
The idea of legacy, and how everyday work can have a wider impact
How therapists can trust that what they do really does matter

Mentioned in this episode:
Gloriously Unready, my earlier podcast project
The Lost Sun Society, Natasha's fiction podcast
Therapy Growth Group, my membership for counsellors in private practice

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
You can also find me here:
The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group
Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
Keywords
podcast, therapy, growth, confidence, storytelling, community, mental health, private practice, diversity, inspiration
The information contained in Good...

Have you ever looked at your social media and felt disappointed because it seems that you're mainly followed by therapists?
In this month's social media episode, I'm exploring the question of why clients don't always follow us, even when we're sharing thoughtful, reflective content. Is it really the problem we think it is, and what can we do about it?
We look at how fear of visibility, professional language, and wanting to get things “right” can influence how you post and the impact that has on making connections with clients. I also explore what clients are actually looking for when they follow therapists on social media, and why warmth and feeling understood matter far more than sounding impressive or knowledgeable.
This episode lays the groundwork for the next couple of monthly social media episodes, where I’ll continue to unpack this topic and look more closely at what helps clients feel safe enough to follow you, and how trust builds over time.
In this episode, I cover:
Why therapists in private practice often attract other therapists on social media
Why this is a completely normal stage
How fear of visibility and judgement affects what we share
The difference between therapist-facing and client-facing content
Why clients follow therapists who help them feel understood
Why there’s nothing “wrong” with your content - it just may not be shaped for clients yet

I also share four simple, client-focused themes you can use in February to help your social media speak more directly to the general public:
Talking about feelings and reaching out for support (Time to Talk Day, Children’s Mental Health Week)
Love, loneliness, and the ways we connect (Valentine’s Day, Singles Awareness Day, Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week)
Identity, inclusion, and feeling safe (LGBTQ+ History Month, Stand Up to Bullying Day)
Nourishing your wellbeing (Boost Your Self-Esteem Month, Eating Disorders Awareness Week)

You can also find me here:
The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group
Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.
Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

January can bring a lot of pressure for counsellors and therapists, with worries about enquiries, a sense of falling behind, and rising self-criticism. This can feel even more intense for neurodivergent counsellors and those who are highly sensitive to pressure.
In this episode of Good Enough Counsellors, I’m joined by Eve Menezes Cunningham to explore a kinder way of moving through January, especially for counsellors in private practice.
Eve draws on therapy, yoga therapy, coaching and writing to offer a deeply compassionate, embodied approach to wellbeing. We talk about self-compassion, nervous system care, and how understanding ourselves, including neurodivergence and survival responses, can reduce shame and self-criticism.
Eve shares her accessible, cat-based way of explaining polyvagal theory (purr, hiss, hide), helping counsellors notice what state they’re in and respond with kindness rather than judgement.
We also explore why boundaries can feel so uncomfortable to set, particularly for people who learned early on to please others in order to feel safe, and why holding yourself with compassion after setting a boundary is just as important as the boundary itself.
We finish with Eve’s gentle invitation for January: to treat yourself as you would a beloved, precious creature, with curiosity, patience and care, rather than seeing yourself as a problem to fix.
In This Episode
Why January often feels hard for counsellors and therapists
Pressure, anxiety and self-criticism in private practice
Self-compassion and being kinder to yourself
Neurodivergence and nervous system awareness
Polyvagal theory explained through cats (purr, hiss, hide)
Why boundaries feel difficult and how to support yourself
A gentle, realistic approach to January without pressure

Eve Menezes Cunningham is a therapist, supervisor, podcast host and former Editor-in-Chief of the Irish Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy. She has a monthly column in Platinum and her book 365 Ways to Feel Better is widely available. You can find Eve and her resources at https://selfcarecoaching.net.
Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
You can also find me here:
The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group
Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for...