Continuing Education for Mental Health Counselors: Therapy Show with Lisa Mustard

Many therapists feel a pull to create income outside of the one-to-one therapy model, but feel conflicted about influencer culture, constant posting, or anything that feels misaligned with their professional values.

In this episode, I explore how therapists can diversify their income by teaching, without becoming influencers or leaving the field. I break down why teaching is a natural extension of clinical work, how continuing education fits ethically within scope, and why so many therapists already have teachable expertise without realizing it.

I discuss practical, realistic options for therapists, including continuing education, consultation, digital educational products, and podcast-based learning, and reframe income diversification as an issue of sustainability, not commitment. This episode is especially relevant for seasoned clinicians who want longevity in the profession without hype or hustle culture.

Special Promotion: Berries + Free CE Podcourse Bundle (New Annual Customers)

At the beginning of this episode, I shared a limited-time promotion in partnership with Berries.

New customers who purchase the Berries annual subscription plan using my referral link will receive free access to my CE Podcourse Bundle, which includes over 30 hours of NBCC-approved continuing education contact hours, with new podcourses added throughout the year.

A Podcourse is a podcast and an audio course in one - designed for busy clinicians. You can listen on a walk, between sessions, or whenever it fits into your schedule. When you're ready, you log in, complete a short self-study quiz, and download your certificate of completion.

🧾 How to Receive the CE Podcourse Bundle

1. Purchase the Berries annual subscription plan using my referral link. Use code THERAPYSHOW50 to save $50 on the annual subscription plan.

2. Email [email protected] with:

   • Subject line: Berries CE Bundle

   • The email address you used to sign up for the Berries annual plan

Access to the CE Podcourse Bundle will be provided within 24–48 hours.

⚠️ This offer is available only to new Berries annual subscription customers.

📌 Continuing Education Details

The CE Podcourse Bundle is offered through Mustard Consulting LLC, an NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider. Clinicians are responsible for confirming that NBCC CE contact hours are accepted by their state licensing board.

Important: If you discontinue your Berries annual subscription, you will lose access to the CE Podcourse Bundle.

🔗 Full details are available here.

👉Access the free CE Course Builder here.

Need CE contact hours? Explore my NBCC-Approved Podcourses & CE Courses

Get my Coping with Political Stress Workbook that's Canva Editable For Clinicians, Coaches & Educators

Therapist Conversation Framework: Politics in Session A printable PDF with 97 questions to navigate political talk in therapy - without taking sides.

Solution-Focused Therapy Guide 72 questions + prompts to help adult clients clarify goals and move forward using SFT.

Check out all my Counselor Resources.

I'm often asked which email service I use. I've been using AWeber for years because it's simple and dependable. If you're stuck comparing platforms, AWeber's Done For You option can help you get started without overthinking the setup. Learn more.

The Therapy Show with Lisa Mustard is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice. Always consult with your own healthcare provider regarding any personal health or medical conditions.

In this episode of The Therapy Show, I chat with Ann Mac Prevost, a licensed professional counselor who specializes in teen anxiety. Ann Mac dives into how anxiety shows up in today's teens, why it's more prevalent than ever, and how parents and therapists can help teens manage it effectively. We also explore the role of family systems, the impact of social media, and practical tools that support emotional growth in adolescents.

In this episode, we cover:

• The most common anxiety presentations in teens today
• Why COVID and smartphones have intensified anxiety in adolescents
• How to know when anxiety crosses from "normal" to "problematic"
• Tips for therapists working with teens and their families
• The importance of involving parents in the therapeutic process
• Helpful frameworks for validating emotions while promoting behavior change
• Practical CBT and exposure strategies that teens can actually use

Whether you're a therapist, parent, or just curious about teen mental health, this conversation is packed with relatable insights and tools you can use right away.

Connect with Ann Mac.

Links mentioned:

📝 Berries – Therapy Documentation & Clinical Workflow Support Berries recently launched a new Treatment Plan experience that creates a true "golden thread" between treatment plans and session notes, keeping documentation aligned with real clinical work. They've also added a Patient Letter feature that allows you to generate summaries, instructions, and letters directly from your session notes in just a few clicks.

👉Try Berries for free here

💸Plus get $50 off your first month with code: THERAPYSHOW50

🤖 Free CE ChatGPT Tool: CE Course Builder for Mental Health CliniciansIf you're curious about teaching or continuing education but aren't ready to commit to creating a full course, this free tool is designed to help you explore ideas, clarify learning objectives, and think like an educator, without pressure or obligation.

👉Access the free CE Course Builder here.

Need CE contact hours? Explore my NBCC-Approved Podcourses & CE Courses

Get my Coping with Political Stress Workbook that's Canva Editable For Clinicians, Coaches & Educators

Therapist Conversation Framework: Politics in Session A printable PDF with 97 questions to navigate political talk in therapy - without taking sides.

Solution-Focused Therapy Guide 72 questions + prompts to help adult clients clarify goals and move forward using SFT.

Check out all my Counselor Resources.

I'm often asked which email service I use. I've been using AWeber for years because it's simple and dependable. If you're stuck comparing platforms, AWeber's Done For You option can help you get started without overthinking the setup. Learn more.

The Therapy Show with Lisa Mustard is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice. Always consult with your own healthcare provider regarding any personal health or medical conditions.

At some point in your career as a therapist, the work begins to shift. You may feel a quiet pull to share what you've learned beyond the therapy room but feel unsure what that means or whether you're "qualified" to teach.

In this episode, I explore the transition from clinician to educator and why this identity shift can feel both exciting and uncomfortable. I talk about common myths therapists hold about teaching, ethical considerations, visibility, and how stepping into an educator role doesn't require a new certification or a major career change.

If you're a mid-career or seasoned clinician curious about teaching, mentoring, or continuing education, this episode is an invitation to notice the pull and explore it with clarity and confidence.

Links mentioned:

📝 Berries – Therapy Documentation & Clinical Workflow Support Berries recently launched a new Treatment Plan experience that creates a true "golden thread" between treatment plans and session notes, keeping documentation aligned with real clinical work. They've also added a Patient Letter feature that allows you to generate summaries, instructions, and letters directly from your session notes in just a few clicks.

👉Try Berries for free here

💸Plus get $50 off your first month with code: THERAPYSHOW50

🤖 Free CE ChatGPT Tool: CE Course Builder for Mental Health Clinicians If you're curious about teaching or continuing education but aren't ready to commit to creating a full course, this free tool is designed to help you explore ideas, clarify learning objectives, and think like an educator, without pressure or obligation.

👉Access the free CE Course Builder here.

Need CE contact hours? Explore my NBCC-Approved Podcourses & CE Courses

Get my Coping with Political Stress Workbook that's Canva Editable For Clinicians, Coaches & Educators

Therapist Conversation Framework: Politics in Session A printable PDF with 97 questions to navigate political talk in therapy - without taking sides.

Solution-Focused Therapy Guide 72 questions + prompts to help adult clients clarify goals and move forward using SFT.

Check out all my Counselor Resources.

I'm often asked which email service I use. I've been using AWeber for years because it's simple and dependable. If you're stuck comparing platforms, AWeber's Done For You option can help you get started without overthinking the setup. Learn more.

The Therapy Show with Lisa Mustard is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice. Always consult with your own healthcare provider regarding any personal health or medical conditions.

In this episode I sit down with S. Jeff Jones, a therapist, interventionist, coach and author of Rethinking Addiction: The New Family Recovery Solution. Jeff shares how his personal experiences and professional journey led him to develop a new, empowering model for working with families affected by addiction.

We dive into why the traditional addiction framework often falls short—especially when it comes to supporting families—and how shame-based language can actually prevent healing. Jeff explains the difference between enabling addiction and "enabling health," and introduces a practical three-phase coaching model that helps families move from chaos to clarity.

We also explore how therapists can better recognize when addiction is part of the picture (even if it's not the presenting problem), and Jeff offers powerful tools for helping clients separate the essence of their loved one from the addiction itself.

Whether you're a therapist working with individuals or families—or someone supporting a loved one in recovery—this conversation is full of valuable insights, mindset shifts, and hope.

Links mentioned:

Get Jeff's guide to save your family from addiction in the next 90 days for free.

Preorder Jeff's book.

What's New with Berries: Berries now lets you generate a complete, personalized treatment plan in seconds - built from your diagnoses, session notes, and clinical preferences, using customizable templates that match your voice and style. Its powerful "golden thread" ensures your treatment plan and notes stay clinically aligned, continuously informing each other as care evolves. With the new Magic Update feature, your plan updates effortlessly without the need to rewrite from scratch. The result? A streamlined workflow where every session builds on the last, and documentation becomes part of your clinical process - not just another admin task.

Browse all my NBCC approved Podcourses - just $5 each. Get one CE contact hour.

Build your first CE course (free)

The Therapy Show with Lisa Mustard is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice. Always consult with your own healthcare provider regarding any personal health or medical conditions.

In this episode I had a powerful conversation with Dr. Andrew Hartz, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Open Therapy Institute. We explored how politics, values, and therapy are increasingly showing up together in the therapy room and why that matters for both clients and clinicians.

What's New with Berries: Berries now lets you generate a complete, personalized treatment plan in seconds - built from your diagnoses, session notes, and clinical preferences, using customizable templates that match your voice and style. Its powerful "golden thread" ensures your treatment plan and notes stay clinically aligned, continuously informing each other as care evolves. With the new Magic Update feature, your plan updates effortlessly without the need to rewrite from scratch. The result? A streamlined workflow where every session builds on the last, and documentation becomes part of your clinical process - not just another admin task.

Key takeaways:

• Therapist bias is a real and growing concern. Many clients feel alienated due to perceived political or ideological leanings of their therapists, often unintentionally communicated through things like pronoun usage or assumptions about worldview.
• Most therapists lean left politically, which can lead to clients self-censoring, feeling misunderstood, or avoiding therapy altogether.
• The Open Therapy Institute (OTI) was created to support therapists who want to offer politically neutral, values-attuned therapy and serve populations that feel underserved, especially those with conservative or centrist views.
• Therapists can grow their practice by learning to work effectively with clients from across the political spectrum. There is high demand and low supply of therapists trained to do this well.
• We discussed the importance of dialectical thinking. This means helping clients (and ourselves) hold multiple perspectives and tolerate ambiguity, especially around politics, religion, and identity.

If you're a therapist who wants to grow in this area or reach more clients who feel left out by traditional therapy, check out Open Therapy Institute, https://opentherapyinstitute.org.

Browse all my NBCC approved Podcourses - just $5 each. Get one CE contact hour.

Build your first CE course (free)

Get my Coping with Political Stress Ebook and Peaceful Politics AI Guide

Therapist Conversation Framework: Politics in Session A printable PDF with 97 questions to navigate political talk in therapy - without taking sides.

Solution-Focused Therapy Guide72 questions + prompts to help adult clients clarify goals and move forward using SFT.

Check out all my Counselor Resources.

I'm breaking down what to do when the Facebook group grind stops working. I share real, practical strategies that I've used myself to market my continuing education Podcourses, without burning out or relying solely on social media.

I talk about:

• Why Facebook posts lose momentum
• How to build a simple email marketing funnel that actually works
• Why partnerships and podcast guesting can open new doors
• The power of searchable, evergreen content
• And how to make it ridiculously easy for someone to buy your course

If you're tired of spinning your wheels, this episode will help you pivot, not panic. Plus, I give you a behind-the-scenes look at how I market my Podcourse bundle, including what didn't work and what finally clicked. Read the blog here.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Browse all the Podcourses

Build your first CE course (free)

Save time with Berries AI: get $50 off your first month with code THERAPYSHOW50

Get my Coping with Political Stress Ebook and Peaceful Politics AI Guide

Therapist Conversation Framework: Politics in Session A printable PDF with 97 questions to navigate political talk in therapy - without taking sides.

Solution-Focused Therapy Guide72 questions + prompts to help adult clients clarify goals and move forward using SFT.

Check out all my Counselor Resources.

I'm helping you plan your 2026 growth goals in this episode, whether that's continuing education courses, certifications, clinical skills, or supervision. If you're feeling a little unsure about where to focus next year, this is your chance to reflect, regroup, and set a clear, simple direction for your professional development.

I'll walk you through how to identify what actually worked in 2025, choose what's worth your time in 2026, and share a few of my favorite tools that save time and reduce overwhelm - including a note-writing AI I'm loving, and a free CE Course Builder I created just for therapists like you.

In this episode, I cover:

• How to plan CEUs you'll actually enjoy
• Choosing certifications that align with your goals
• Building your skills and setting one focus per quarter
• Tools to streamline your work and free up space to grow

Links mentioned in this episode:

Browse all the Podcourses Build your first CE course (free)Save time with Berries AI: get $50 off your first month with code THERAPYSHOW50

Get my Coping with Political Stress Ebook and Peaceful Politics AI Guide

Therapist Conversation Framework: Politics in Session A printable PDF with 97 questions to navigate political talk in therapy - without taking sides.

Solution-Focused Therapy Guide72 questions + prompts to help adult clients clarify goals and move forward using SFT.

Check out all my Counselor Resources.

In this episode of The Therapy Show, I share something I've been working on behind the scenes - a free tool I created just for mental health clinicians: the CE Course Builder, a custom GPT designed to help you create and launch your own continuing education courses. If you've ever thought about teaching but felt overwhelmed by the tech, compliance, or where to even start, this tool walks you through it all - step-by-step.

I also talk about group discounts available for practice owners (email me to discuss offering my CE Podcourses to your clinicians) and invite you to fill out a short survey to help shape future CE content.

If you're ready to move beyond the therapy room and share your expertise, this episode is for you.

Get my Coping with Political Stress Ebook and Peaceful Politics AI Guide

Therapist Conversation Framework: Politics in Session A printable PDF with 97 questions to navigate political talk in therapy - without taking sides.

Solution-Focused Therapy Guide72 questions + prompts to help adult clients clarify goals and move forward using SFT.

Check out all my Counselor Resources.

I'm thrilled to welcome back my good friend and brilliant multi-passionate entrepreneur, Kym Tolson. If you've ever wondered how therapists can use AI to streamline their work, generate new income streams, or simply stop drowning in admin tasks, you're going to love this conversation.

Kym and I dive deep into her newest creation, The Thera AI Hub, a growing collection of over 35 done-for-you AI tools built specifically for therapists. From custom GPTs, to newsletter-building agents, to niche-finding and scalable-offer creators, Kym shows how therapists can reclaim their time, reduce burnout, and finally move toward the ideas they've been sitting on for years.

We also explore the evolving role of AI in mental health care including the big news about Cigna using AI as a first-line support tool, and talk candidly about what this means for the future of our field. Kym shares how therapists can stay relevant, adapt intentionally, and develop specialties AI can't replace.

Plus, she gives us an exciting look at upcoming features inside Berries, the AI-powered therapy note scribe where she serves as Clinical Director. Think smart treatment plans, automatic session summaries, homework suggestions, and even telehealth and EMR capabilities on the horizon.

If you're curious about leveraging AI to enhance your clinical work, build new offers, or simplify your business systems, this episode is packed with inspiration, practical tips, and plenty of "oh wow" moments.

I can't wait for you to listen. Kym always brings so much clarity, creativity, and encouragement. I know you'll walk away with at least one idea you're excited to try.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Get my CE Course Builder for Mental Health Clinicians for FREE

Thera AI Hub + Clinical AI Club: https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/AI-Tools-for-Therapists

AI Newsletter Opt In/Mastering AI Prompts for Therapists: https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/Join-AI-Newsletter

AI Powered Private Practice Giveaway: https://kingsumo.com/g/m88558m/ai-powered-practice-giveaway

Check out all my Counselor Resources.

In this episode of The Therapy Show, I'm thrilled to chat with Dr. Tobin Richardson, a fellow continuing education creator and the founder of Save the Therapist. We dive into how Tobin combined his passion for narrative podcasting and his background in counselor education to create a unique, story-driven CE platform for therapists. He shares the behind-the-scenes of launching CE courses that actually engage and inspire, why he believes continuing education needs a serious upgrade, and how he's offering these courses completely free thanks to his creative business model.

We also get real about the challenges of building something meaningful, how to market CE content without burning out, and what it's like to cover nuanced, sometimes controversial topics with honesty and integrity. If you've ever thought about creating your own CE content or just want to hear how another therapist is innovating in the field, this episode is for you.

Tune in and get inspired by Tobin's journey and maybe even find your next favorite CE podcast.

Tobin Richardson, EdD, NCC, is a counselor educator with a decade of experience building and delivering innovative educational resources to therapists in both community mental health and large VC-backed provider organizations. Since launching in early 2025, his NPR-style CE platform Save the Therapist has garnered over 4,000 therapists registrants with over 7,000 course completions.

And don't forget! If you're ready to spend less time on notes and more time doing what you love, check out heyberries.com. Use code THERAPYSHOW50 for $50 off your first month with Berries.

Get my Coping with Political Stress Ebook and Peaceful Politics AI Guide

Therapist Conversation Framework: Politics in Session A printable PDF with 97 questions to navigate political talk in therapy - without taking sides.

Solution-Focused Therapy Guide72 questions + prompts to help adult clients clarify goals and move forward using SFT.

Check out all my Counselor Resources.