Mastering Therapy

S4E7: Online Therapy Across Boarders: Risk, Cover, Compliance | Dr Tess Browne
EPISODE SUMMARY
What happens when your therapy room has no borders—literally? In this episode, Dr. Natalie Stott and Dr Tess Browne tackle the practical realities of working with clients overseas, from risk management to insurance headaches. If you’ve debated taking your private practice global, wondered about how to safeguard clients abroad, or been baffled by tax as a travelling clinician, this one’s for you. The discussion steers clear of legal jargon, focusing instead on the right questions to ask your insurer, accountant, and yourself. There's also a free downloadable with all questions you need to be asking so scroll down to get it
TIMESTAMPS
00:48 The real-world challenges of working with clients abroad
02:00 How Dr Tess Browne built her global practice online
04:12 What makes risk manageable (and when it gets tricky)
08:04 Screening and safeguarding clients across borders
15:08 Insurance, licensing, and crucial questions for your provider
27:07 Navigating tax if you work overseas or with international clients
33:21 Networks, support, and the reality of ongoing global therapy work

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Always clarify both your insurance’s worldwide coverage and its legal jurisdiction—“worldwide” isn’t always what it seems.
Add a clause to terms and conditions about being UK-based, subject to UK law, and the limits of confidentiality (especially when escalating risk in another country).
When onboarding clients abroad, collect in-country emergency contacts and ensure the client’s consent to use them.
Make sure both you and the client know the emergency services number in their country—expats often don’t.
State your title clearly and honestly (e.g., UK-registered clinical psychologist), especially in countries with protected titles or different regulations.
Contact local psychological societies before working with clients in unfamiliar countries—responses are often more helpful than expected.
Before changing countries or tax residency, speak to an accountant who understands cross-border income and double taxation.

RESOURCES
Mastering Therapy website and mailing list: masteringtherapy.com
UK Digital Nomad Psychologists Facebook group: [LINK]
Supervisor Platform: [LINK]
Statutory Residence Test info (HMRC): [LINK]

Guest Information:
GUEST
Dr Tess Browne is a UK-trained clinical psychologist with NHS experience who spent 7 years practising in Hong Kong and now runs a thriving global online practice. Her main clients are often high-achieving expats and perinatal women, making her a pragmatic guide on the ins and outs of overseas therapy.
Social media: @drtessbrowne (on IG & LinkedIn)
Website: www.drtessbrowne.com

Resources mentioned:
FREE RESOURCE- Downloadable Overseas toolkit- All the questions you need to ask the relevant people in one neat document

** Check out Mastering Therapy’s Youtube Channel for all podcast episodes **

For notification on up coming episodes and for occasional summaries of tools discussed on the podcast sign up here: www.masteringtherapy.com

To recommend a topic you’d like to hear about, or if you’d like to appear on the podcast please get in touch at www.masteringtherapy.com/guest

For private psychology services and therapy visit www.drnataliestott.com
*****

Subscribe to the Mastering Therapy Podcast YouTube channel

Follow Mastering therapy on instagram

Connect with Dr Natalie Stott on LinkedIn

SUPERVISOR PLATFORM
Supervisor Platform is an online directory designed for therapists, psychologists, counsellors, and other mental health professionals to connect with qualified clinical supervisors. It makes it easy for practitioners to browse, compare, and contact supervisors based on their expertise, approach, and availability, while giving supervisors a professional space to showcase their services.
Supervisor Platform (with 3 months free trial code 'WELCOME3')
To search for a new supervisor visit HERE
For free resources on supervision visit HERE

Disclaimer: The Mastering therapy podcast and the information provided by Dr Natalie Stott (Dclinpsych, HPCP reg), is solely intended for informational and educational purposes and should only be used by qualified professionals.

S4E6: The Power of Empathic Confrontation and Mode Mapping: Schema Therapy | Dr Jo White
Ever had a client say, “I know it’s not logical, but I just feel… defective”?
This episode of Mastering Therapy unpacks schema therapy with ISST-certified schema therapist and supervisor Dr Jo White. Hosts Dr Natalie Stott and Jo tackle the origins of schema therapy, why Jeff Young developed it when CBT wasn’t cutting the mustard, and what exactly a “schema” is. Expect practical metaphors, mode maps, and hear how limited reparenting can shift entrenched patterns. From how schemas form in childhood, to the therapist’s role with healthy adult mode, this episode is full of clinical pearls for anyone curious about alternative models or thinking beyond core beliefs. There’s even a nod to chairwork, imagery rescripting, and handling those confrontational moments in therapy.
TIMESTAMPS
• 00:00 What is schema therapy and why did it emerge?
• 04:22 How to explain a schema to clients (metaphors that actually work)
• 09:48 Introducing “modes”—and why behaviours matter
• 17:58 Limited reparenting: what it is and how boundaries play a role
• 21:59 Empathic confrontation: cold tap, hot tap, and getting the balance right
• 28:29 Schema therapy in brief: is short-term work possible?
• 31:15 Mapping out modes and schemas with clients
• 33:53 Experiential techniques: chairwork, imagery, and mode mapping
• 40:11 Therapist schemas and supervision: you’re in it too
• 45:39 Training routes and schema therapy resources
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Use “schema glasses” as a client-friendly metaphor—schemas filter every situation.
• Limited reparenting is in-session modelling of healthy adult responses; boundaries are key.
• Modes describe how schemas play out: learn to identify vulnerable child, coping, critic and healthy modes.
• Empathic confrontation helps clients change entrenched patterns—adjust the “hot and cold” for effectiveness.
• Always map modes and schemas collaboratively—help clients spot their emotional triggers and bodily responses.
• Imagery rescripting can reduce schema sensitivity; the therapist actively steps in to rewrite old memories.
• Long-term schema therapy is ideal, but elements can be adapted for briefer interventions (with caution).
Guest Information: Dr Jo White
ISST-certified schema therapist, trainer, and supervisor. Experienced in integrating schema therapy into clinical practice and supervision. Clear, practical approach to teaching therapists.
Website: https://www.schematherapyworks.co.uk/dr-jo-white
Resources mentioned:
BESQ - Brief Early Schema Questionnaire
Schema youtube
Schema blog

** Check out Mastering Therapy’s Youtube Channel for all podcast episodes **

For notification on up coming episodes and for occasional summaries of tools discussed on the podcast sign up here: www.masteringtherapy.com

To recommend a topic you’d like to hear about, or if you’d like to appear on the podcast please get in touch at www.masteringtherapy.com/guest

For private psychology services and therapy visit www.drnataliestott.com
*****

Subscribe to the Mastering Therapy Podcast YouTube channel

Follow Mastering therapy on instagram

Connect with Dr Natalie Stott on LinkedIn

SUPERVISOR PLATFORM
Supervisor Platform is an online directory designed for therapists, psychologists, counsellors, and other mental health professionals to connect with qualified clinical supervisors. It makes it easy for practitioners to browse, compare, and contact supervisors based on their expertise, approach, and availability, while giving supervisors a professional space to showcase their services.
Supervisor Platform (with 3 months free trial code 'WELCOME3')
To search for a new supervisor visit HERE
For free resources on supervision visit HERE

Disclaimer: The Mastering therapy podcast and the information provided by Dr Natalie Stott (Dclinpsych, HPCP reg), is solely intended for informational and educational purposes and should only be used by qualified professionals.
Mentioned in this episode:
Supervisor platform
SUPERVISOR PLATFORM:

Visit www.supervisorplatform.com to search supervisors
You can list your profile for free for 3 months
Website

What happens when you blend the structured world of EMDR with the nuanced, parts-based approach of IFS?
Dr. Natalie Stott sits down with David Polidi—EMDR therapist and “IFS guru” (his clients’ words, not his)—to get practical about integrating Internal Family Systems and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing in complex trauma work. They tackle everything from how to honour protectors (without bulldozing them) to what actually happens in this mysterious “Phase 2.5,” and how to avoid getting tangled in your own parts as a therapist. Plus, the age-old questions: Do you really need bilateral stimulation? And can you use a parts lens without an IFS certificate? No hype, just candour, solid tips, and welcome reassurance for therapists at every stage.
TIMESTAMPS
• 00:00 Introduction and purpose of blending IFS and EMDR
• 02:41 The “Syzygy model” and holding both maps in session
• 06:24 EMDR’s Phase 2.5/Discovery Phase—what is it, why is it useful?
• 14:43 What to do when protectors hijack reprocessing work
• 24:24 When negotiations with parts fail—what next?
• 27:13 Why blend models at all? And do you have to pick sides?
• 33:15 What happens between sessions? Homework for clients (and therapists)
• 36:42 Getting started: books, trainings, and the value of consultation
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Always check in with every part—genuine consent trumps protocol when reprocessing trauma memories.
• Use “Phase 2.5” (Discovery Phase) with blended protectors—pause, get curious, and only proceed when all parts are on board.
• The “fire drill” is a quick, practical tool: name your own therapist parts at the start of sessions and gently ask them to step aside.
• Don't bulldoze protectors—forced reprocessing often brings backlash and, at best, patchy results.
• EMDR's structure maps well onto IFS’s parts work, but the pace needs to match your client’s system—not your agenda.
• It’s OK to use parts language without formal IFS training, as long as you’re respectful, collaborative, and guided by your client’s experience.
• Encourage clients to build ongoing relationships with their parts between sessions (quick daily check-ins can genuinely help).

RESOURCES

S4E5: Stop processing parts without mapping their purpose first (IFS & EMDR)| Dr David Polidi

Guest Information: David Polidi is a practising EMDR therapist known for integrating IFS into trauma work. He recently edited a collaborative book on IFS-informed EMDR, gathering voices from trainers, teachers, and therapists innovating at the frontier of blended models.
Social media:
Website:

Resources mentioned:

IFS Training Programs | IFS Institute
Intro to IFS informed EMDR – EMDR Insight
IFS Informed EMDR Training Program — Syzygy Institute
David's Book

** Check out Mastering Therapy’s Youtube Channel for all podcast episodes **

For notification on up coming episodes and for occasional summaries of tools discussed on the podcast sign up here: www.masteringtherapy.com

To recommend a topic you’d like to hear about, or if you’d like to appear on the podcast please get in touch at www.masteringtherapy.com/guest

For private psychology services and therapy visit www.drnataliestott.com
*****

Subscribe to the Mastering Therapy Podcast YouTube channel

Follow Mastering therapy on instagram

Connect with Dr Natalie Stott on LinkedIn

SUPERVISOR PLATFORM
Supervisor Platform is an online directory designed for therapists, psychologists, counsellors, and other mental health professionals to connect with qualified clinical supervisors. It makes it easy for practitioners to browse, compare, and contact supervisors based on their expertise, approach, and availability, while giving supervisors a professional space to showcase their services.
Supervisor Platform (with 3 months free trial code 'WELCOME3')
To search for a new supervisor visit HERE
For free resources on supervision visit HERE

Disclaimer: The Mastering therapy podcast and the information provided by Dr Natalie Stott (Dclinpsych, HPCP reg), is solely intended for informational and educational purposes and should only be used by qualified professionals.
Mentioned in this episode:
Supervisor platform
SUPERVISOR PLATFORM:

Visit www.supervisorplatform.com to search supervisors
You can list your profile for free for 3 months
Website

S4E4: Therapist Drift. Skill or laziness? | Dr Gracie Mclaven
EPISODE SUMMARY
Is “therapist drift” a mark of incompetence, or creative clinical freedom? In this episode, Dr. Gracie McLaven sits down with Dr. Natalie Stott to deconstruct the practical realities of blending therapy models, from DDP to EMDR and ACT, in a world obsessed with protocols and evidence bases.
The conversation sidesteps the usual platitudes, digging into the messy, human reality of clinical practice, where intuition meets integration and sometimes, the best work happens outside the boxes.
Expect a wry look at the NHS, a nod to the limits of randomised controlled trials, and some honest discussion about how to find your therapeutic style amid ever-mounting pressures on frontline services.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Using multiple therapy models isn’t always “drift”—sometimes, it’s exactly what complex cases require.
The relationship between therapist and client can be more important than rigid protocol adherence.
Formulating cases can be fluid—messy minds need not stick to neatly drawn CBT diagrams.
Short-term models like CBT aren’t always containing enough for intense trauma work.
There are risks in assuming the evidence base is neutral; cultural bias and financial motivations play a role.
Feedback cycles with clients—check-ins, reviews, testimonials—are key to knowing whether you’re actually helping.
Regular, varied supervision is crucial for independent or integrative practitioners.

Guest Information:
Dr. Gracie McLaven
Clinical psychologist in private practice, with a wide-ranging background in attachment, trauma, and integrative work. Known for her reflective, relationship-focused approach to therapy and strong views on what makes therapy effective.
Social media:
Website: https://brainbodywealth.co.uk/

Resources mentioned:

** Check out Mastering Therapy’s Youtube Channel for all podcast episodes **

For notification on up coming episodes and for occasional summaries of tools discussed on the podcast sign up here: www.masteringtherapy.com

To recommend a topic you’d like to hear about, or if you’d like to appear on the podcast please get in touch at www.masteringtherapy.com/guest

For private psychology services and therapy visit www.drnataliestott.com
*****

Subscribe to the Mastering Therapy Podcast YouTube channel

Follow Mastering therapy on instagram

Connect with Dr Natalie Stott on LinkedIn

SUPERVISOR PLATFORM
Supervisor Platform is an online directory designed for therapists, psychologists, counsellors, and other mental health professionals to connect with qualified clinical supervisors. It makes it easy for practitioners to browse, compare, and contact supervisors based on their expertise, approach, and availability, while giving supervisors a professional space to showcase their services.
Supervisor Platform (with 3 months free trial code 'WELCOME3')
To search for a new supervisor visit HERE
For free resources on supervision visit HERE

Disclaimer: The Mastering therapy podcast and the information provided by Dr Natalie Stott (Dclinpsych, HPCP reg), is solely intended for informational and educational purposes and should only be used by qualified professionals.
Mentioned in this episode:
Supervisor platform
SUPERVISOR PLATFORM:

Visit www.supervisorplatform.com to search supervisors
You can list your profile for free for 3 months
Website

S4E3: Clinical Supervision PART 2: The Bits Nobody Taught You | Dr Paul Grantham
EPISODE SUMMARY
What really makes supervision high quality, and why do most of us avoid thinking about it until there’s a complaint on the horizon? In this episode, Dr. Natalie Stott and Dr Paul Grantham wade into the murky waters of supervision for therapists—shining a light on everything from note-taking and record keeping to supervision of supervision (yes, it’s a thing). Listen in as they pick apart the shoulds, coulds, and musts of being a supervisor, who should keep the notes, what to do when things go off-piste, and how private practice is a whole different kettle of fish. Plenty here for supervisors and supervisees alike, plus a nod to models like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for good measure.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:02 – Why supervision matters (and what nobody tells you)
00:01:57 – How to become a supervisor, and does accreditation matter?
00:04:10 – Bridging theory and practice: why ongoing support trumps a certificate
00:05:42 – Supervision of supervisors: why “peer groups” aren’t just for show
00:10:48 – How supervisors can (accidentally) do real harm
00:14:58 – Supervision records and notes: who keeps them, who gets to see them, and why it matters
00:20:12 – How much experience do you really need before supervising others?
00:23:04 – The markers of a genuinely good supervisor
00:26:01 – What supervisees should do if their gut says “something’s not right”
00:29:45 – Training, resources, and the elusive ‘perfect supervisor’

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Choose supervision courses that are third-party accredited if you want real quality control—anyone can call themselves a supervisor, but not all courses are equal.
• Peer supervision groups are helpful, but having an external, experienced facilitator can turn “that’s interesting…” into real professional growth.
• Private practice supervisors risk creating echo chambers—seek out challenge, not just comfort.
• Keep supervision records: treat them like client notes, ensure they’re agreed upon by both supervisor and supervisee, and know under what conditions they might be accessed.
• Good contracts should specify who holds the records, when they can be released, and include a process for conflict (consider a “grandparent” supervisor).
• For ethical dilemmas and fitness-to-practice queries, clear note-keeping protects everyone—don’t rely on memory when the court calls.
• Supervision of supervision prevents stagnation and isolation and helps supervisors tackle challenges they missed in training.
GUEST
Dr Paul Grantham
A seasoned psychologist and clinical supervisor who runs one of the few independent, BPS-accredited supervision training courses. Draws on decades of experience with clinical supervision in both organisational and private practice settings.
RESOURCES
• SDS Seminars: info and supervision courses – [LINK]
• David Milne’s book: Evidence-Based Clinical Supervision – [LINK]
CALL TO ACTION
Subscribe to the podcast and join the mailing list for more CPD essentials, supervision tips, and frank discussion—minus the fluff.
DISCLAIMER
For education only. Not a substitute for professional supervision or clinical judgement.
Guest Information:
Social media:
Website:

Resources mentioned:

Free Editable Supervision Contract
Evidence-Based Clinical Supervision: Principles and Practice | Wiley
SDS Seminars: info and supervision courses –

** Check out Mastering Therapy’s Youtube Channel for all podcast episodes **

For notification on up coming episodes and for occasional summaries of tools discussed on the podcast sign up here: www.masteringtherapy.com

To recommend a topic you’d like to hear about, or if you’d like to appear on the podcast please get in touch at www.masteringtherapy.com/guest

For private psychology services and therapy visit www.drnataliestott.com
*****

Subscribe to the Mastering Therapy Podcast YouTube channel

Follow Mastering therapy on instagram

Connect with Dr Natalie Stott on LinkedIn

SUPERVISOR PLATFORM
Supervisor Platform is an online directory designed for therapists, psychologists, counsellors, and other mental health professionals to connect with qualified clinical supervisors. It makes it easy for practitioners to browse, compare, and contact supervisors based on their expertise, approach, and availability, while giving supervisors a professional space to showcase their services.
Supervisor Platform (with 3 months free trial code 'WELCOME3')
To search for a new supervisor visit HERE
For free resources on supervision visit HERE

Disclaimer: The Mastering therapy podcast and the information provided by Dr Natalie Stott (Dclinpsych, HPCP reg), is solely intended for informational and educational purposes and should only be used by qualified professionals.
Mentioned in this episode:
Supervisor platform
SUPERVISOR PLATFORM:

Visit www.supervisorplatform.com to search supervisors
You can list your profile for free for 3 months
Website
Supervision Contract download
FREE Supervision Contract- Download yours at
https://supervisorplatform.com/supervision-contract
Website