Mastering Therapy

S5E6: How to Find Your Therapy Niche with Josephine Hughes
Do therapists really need a niche, or is this simply another piece of marketing advice that makes private practice feel more complicated than it already is?
In this episode, Dr Natalie Stott speaks with counsellor and Good Enough Counsellors podcast host Josephine Hughes about finding the clients you genuinely want to work with. They explore why being trained to work with a wide range of people can make narrowing your focus feel uncomfortable, particularly when you are worried about finding enough clients.
Josephine explains that a niche does not have to box you in. It gives potential clients, colleagues, search engines and AI a clearer signal about the work you offer. A client may never search for “single-incident trauma”, but they might search for help after a road accident or because they panic every time they get behind the wheel.
They also discuss what happens when you are highly skilled in an area you no longer enjoy, whether you need to be an expert before choosing a specialism and why your niche can change as your practice develops.
Josephine shares a practical exercise for identifying the common thread running through the clients you most enjoy working with. If the instruction to “find your niche” has left you staring blankly at your website biography, this is a useful place to begin.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A niche helps clients recognise that your work is relevant to them.
Clients often search using situations and everyday experiences rather than therapy terminology.
Different presentations may share an underlying emotional theme or “root”.
Choosing a niche does not prevent you from accepting other suitable referrals.
You can test your wording, notice who responds and adapt your focus over time.
You do not need to become an expert before beginning to develop a specialism.
Reviewing three clients you worked particularly well with can reveal useful patterns.
The work you are good at is not necessarily the work you want to build your practice around.

GUEST
Josephine Hughes is a BACP Accredited Counsellor who mentors therapists as they develop their private practices. She hosts the Good Enough Counsellors podcast and runs the Good Enough Counsellors community on facebook

Josephine’s free handout mentioned in the episode
Josephine Hughes
Good Enough Counsellors podcast

** 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/podcast

*****

Subscribe to the Mastering Therapy Podcast YouTube channel

Follow Mastering therapy on instagram

Connect with Dr Natalie Stott on LinkedIn

AIRNOTE
AirNote is an affordable AI-powered note-taking app designed specifically for therapists in private practice. It securely transcribes sessions and creates professional clinical notes, without the price tag of many traditional AI scribes. Priced at only £14.99 per month. Available to mac users only
DOWNLOAD AIRNOTE (1 month free trial using to code 30FREE)

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
Guide

S5E5: Practical AI for Therapists: Green, Amber and Red Uses
How can therapists make practical use of AI without handing over sensitive information, clinical judgement or half the contents of their inbox?
In this solo episode, Dr Natalie Stott explores how AI has moved beyond simple chatbot prompts. Today’s tools can listen, create, research and act on your behalf. That brings useful opportunities for clinical work and private practice. It also introduces risks that cannot be solved by removing a client’s name and hoping for the best.
Natalie introduces a green, amber and red framework for assessing AI use. She also explains the differences between consumer chatbots, clinical scribes, agents and AI builders.
Practical examples include creating accessible therapy worksheets, rehearsing psychoeducation through voice mode, preparing for appraisal, auditing a private-practice website and using AI as a research or marketing assistant. The episode also considers AI scribes, agent permissions and why human review remains essential.
Resources mentioned:
Airnote: AI Scribe for therapists
ICO Guidance on AI
AI SEO AUDIT-to use with agents
Free AI health Check

** 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/podcast
*****
Subscribe to the Mastering Therapy Podcast YouTube channel
Follow Mastering therapy on instagram
Connect with Dr Natalie Stott on LinkedIn
AIRNOTE
AirNote is an affordable AI-powered note-taking app designed specifically for therapists in private practice. It securely transcribes sessions and creates professional clinical notes, without the price tag of many traditional AI scribes. Priced at only £14.99 per month. Available to mac users only
DOWNLOAD AIRNOTE (1 month free trial using to code 30FREE)
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
Guide

S5E4: How Therapists can start and grow a business | Dr Jo Carlile from PEAR
What happens when a therapist has a business idea but no idea how to build it?

In this episode, Dr Natalie Stott speaks with clinical psychologist and Pear founder Dr Jo Carlile about moving from private practice into entrepreneurship. Jo explains why she now sees every private therapist as a founder. She also shares how her therapist identity helped her spot gaps in the way people find therapy and in the support available to private practitioners.

This is a candid conversation about the parts of building a business that are rarely covered in clinical training. Jo talks about finding the right co-founder, getting help when you are not remotely techy and testing an idea before spending heavily on it. She also explains why she and her co-founder stepped back from fundraising after realising that the expected pace did not fit the lives or business they wanted to build.

Natalie and Jo also discuss one of the hidden costs of founder life: the work does not stay neatly in the room. There is always another email, post or idea waiting. They explore what sustainable ambition can look like when clinical work, parenting and personal life all need real space too.

If you have ever thought, “I could build something, but where on earth would I start?”, this episode offers a refreshingly practical answer. Start small. Talk to people. Test whether anybody wants the thing. Then build from what you learn.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

- Private therapists already run businesses, even when “entrepreneur” is not part of their professional identity.
- A business idea can develop gradually from noticing gaps in your own work and the wider therapy landscape.
- Support does not have to mean finding a co-founder. It can come from networks, mentors and people with complementary expertise.
- Early-stage businesses benefit from testing demand before investing heavily in a polished product.
- Fundraising can bring money and momentum, but it can also change who sets the pace and who you answer to.
- Clinical work often has a natural boundary. Founder work can spread into evenings, weekends and mental space unless you contain it deliberately.
- Visibility may never feel like the enjoyable part of the job. It can still be useful when it serves a clear purpose.
Guest Information:

Dr Jo Carlile is a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Pear, a therapy matching platform and therapist community. Pear helps people find a therapist and offers its therapist members community and marketing support.

Website: https://www.ilovepear.com
Email: jo@ilovepear.co.uk
Social media:
Website:

Resources
- Pear therapy matching platform and therapist community: https://www.ilovepear.com

** 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/podcast

*****

Subscribe to the Mastering Therapy Podcast YouTube channel

Follow Mastering therapy on instagram

Connect with Dr Natalie Stott on LinkedIn

AIRNOTE
AirNote is an affordable AI-powered note-taking app designed specifically for therapists in private practice. It securely transcribes sessions and creates professional clinical notes, without the price tag of many traditional AI scribes. Priced at only £14.99 per month. Available to mac users only
DOWNLOAD AIRNOTE (1 month free trial using to code 30FREE)

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.

CONTENT NOTE
This episode discusses sexual abuse, including childhood sexual abuse, trauma memory, shame and the effects of abuse on sex and relationships. Please listen in a way that prioritises care of yourself
EPISODE SUMMARY
How do you name possible sexual abuse without turning therapy into another experience in which something is being done to the client?
In this episode, Dr Natalie Stott speaks with counselling psychologist and EMDR trained Dr Kelly Savery about working with sexual abuse and sexual trauma. They explore the language of victimhood and survival, the care required around first disclosures and what to do when a client has not named what happened. Kelly offers ways to raise concerns tentatively while leaving control with the client.
The conversation also explores fragmented trauma memory. Do clients need a clear, chronological account before therapy can help? Kelly explains why therapists can work with present-day shame, disgust and bodily responses without trying to excavate a complete narrative.
The episode closes with the impact of this work on clinicians. Kelly discusses supervision, peer connection, caseload management and her approach to staying present without visualising traumatic material.
Timestamps
6:24 — Language: victim vs. survivor
15:49 — Fragmented memories & historical disclosures
43:48 — Hope & recovery

GUEST
Dr Kelly Savery is a counselling psychologist, EMDR-accredited practitioner and CAT therapist. She is the founder of Taproot Psychology and specialises in supporting adults affected by sexual abuse and sexual trauma.
Dr Kelly website: https://www.drkelly.uk/
Taproot Psychology: https://www.taprootpsychology.com/
RESOURCES
Trauma Memory animation, using a filing-cabinet metaphor to explain dissociative memory: https://youtu.be/P0DeP2ZfYy0?si=h1j-B9CUezQWTUVM
Self-paced course for people experiencing sexual-intimacy difficulties after sexual abuse: https://www.drkelly.uk/
Dr Kelly Savery’s trauma retreats and intensive trauma therapy: [CURRENT PROGRAMME LINK REQUIRED]
Training and supervision for therapists working with sexual abuse, intimacy and sexual pleasure: [TRAINING LINK REQUIRED]

Mentioned in this episode:
AIRNOTE | AI SCRIBE FOR THERAPISTS
AirNote is an affordable AI-powered note-taking app designed specifically for therapists in private practice.

It securely transcribes sessions and creates professional clinical notes, without the price tag of many traditional AI scribes. Early user price is at £9.99 p/m, no hidden costs. Available to mac users only
DOWNLOAD AIRNOTE (FREE TRIAL available)


AIRNOTE

S5E2 What Community Psychology can teach every therapist | Dr Ron Dodzro
How much of what brings someone to therapy can really be understood by looking at the individual alone?
In this episode, Dr Natalie Stott is joined by clinical psychologist Dr Ron Dodzro, also known as The Accessible Psychologist on social media, to explore community psychology and what changes when therapists widen the lens beyond the person sitting in front of them.
Drawing on his work in prisons and with young people affected by community violence, Ron discusses what it means to formulate the systems around a person, particularly when those systems may be contributing to their distress. He shares how his work has extended beyond individual therapy to include parents, teachers, prison officers and wider organisations.
Natalie and Ron also explore power and trust in therapy, including a striking example where Ron’s attempt to protect a young man’s confidentiality inadvertently made him feel less safe.
They discuss race and therapist identity, what our ideas about “professionalism” might communicate to different clients, and why sharing a demographic with someone doesn’t necessarily mean they will experience you as the right therapist for them.
An episode about looking beyond the individual and becoming more curious about what sits around the therapy room as well as what happens inside it.
Guest Information:
Dr Ron Dodzro is a clinical psychologist whose work spans trauma, community psychology and community violence. He has worked within the prison system and now works predominantly in community, charity and private settings, including with children and young people affected by community violence.
He is also co-founder of Psychologists the Streets Deserve (PTSD) providing psychological therapy, training and consultancy around trauma, PTSD and community violence.
Ron shares his work online as The Accessible Psychologist
Find Ron:
Instagram: The Accessible Psychologist
Organisation/Website: Psychologists the Streets Deserve (PTSD)

** 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/podcast

*****

Subscribe to the Mastering Therapy Podcast YouTube channel

Follow Mastering therapy on instagram

Connect with Dr Natalie Stott on LinkedIn

AIRNOTE
AirNote is an affordable AI-powered note-taking app designed specifically for therapists in private practice. It securely transcribes sessions and creates professional clinical notes, without the price tag of many traditional AI scribes. Priced at only £14.99 per month. Available to mac users only
DOWNLOAD AIRNOTE (1 month free trial using to code 30FREE)

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:
AIRNOTE | AI SCRIBE FOR THERAPISTS
AirNote is an affordable AI-powered note-taking app designed specifically for therapists in private practice.

It securely transcribes sessions and creates professional clinical notes, without the price tag of many traditional AI scribes. Early user price is at £9.99 p/m, no hidden costs. Available to mac users only
DOWNLOAD AIRNOTE (FREE TRIAL available)


AIRNOTE