Conversations With a Wounded Healer

Are therapists ready for the next era of healing? Dr. Caroline Fernandes on complex trauma, mediumship, and what the therapy field has to learn from the spirit world.

I'm spinning all the hits on this episode: grief, ghosts, and the energetic shifts that happen when we incorporate the spiritual into processing personal, cultural, or systemic wounds. That's little "s" spirituality, not the patriarchal-sponsored kind.

The addition of spirituality is important in light of my conversation with Dr. Caroline Fernandes. She's a holistic psychotherapist specializing in complex trauma, relational wounds, and spiritually transformative experiences. Caroline is also a Reiki master and a psychic medium with 25 years' experience. She integrates psychology with energetic work, creating an environment where clients can explore a more mystical side of healing alongside the corporeal.

GUEST BIO

Dr. Caroline Fernandes is a holistic psychotherapist specializing in complex trauma, relational wounds, and spiritually transformative experiences. She integrates mind-body-spirit practices with evidence-based modalities including EMDR, CBT, DBT, and somatic approaches. Her work supports deep processing, nervous system regulation, meaning-making, and sustainable healing across life transitions and identity development.

Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026.

This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now!

Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show!

The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work.

So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

In this special 9th birthday episode of Conversations With a Wounded Healer, Sarah Buino and Lane Essex explore healing at every level—from individual mental health to group practice dynamics and systemic transformations in the therapy field.

What does it mean to sustain a therapy career in these challenging times, while embracing authentic and clinical leadership approaches that foster collective healing and healthy organizations? This episode offers insight for therapists interested in evolving their practice and creating meaningful change within mental healthcare systems. Learn how therapists can stay alive and responsive to whatever comes up in the field, supporting both their clients and themselves with resilience and compassion.

***

Join our Authentic Leaders Group!

Next cohort starts May 1, 2026.

This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now!

Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show!

The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work.

So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

A funeral director turned therapist on meaning-making, unfinished business, and why grief needs more truth and less cheerleading.

Ready for a life-affirming episode about death? I'm excited to introduce you to my longtime friend Rachel Hauck. She's a funeral director and embalmer. After 20 years in business, she's decided to go back to school to become a therapist. I love chatting with people who are in midlife career shifts. Why did she make the switch? How will her previous career shape her identity as a therapist?

What sets this conversation apart from the hushed, almost embarrassed way folks often talk about death is our openness around its emotional messiness. We go beyond Kübler-Ross's model to consider those carrying complex or "untraditional" feelings of grief (think: Jeanette McCurdy). All experiences are welcome here.

GUEST BIO

Rachel Hauck (she/her) has served families as a licensed funeral director/embalmer in the state of Florida for the last 20 years. She is currently completing a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Nova Southeastern University and hopes to develop a signature program in prolonged grief therapy.

Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026.

This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now!

Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show!

The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work.

So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

When the world is burning, old business paradigms collapse—here's what replaces them.

Self-assessment time. For group practice owners: Do your internal systems align with the company's client-facing messaging? For group practice employees: Is fear (of failure, of retaliation) holding you back from calling out harmful behaviors or leaving altogether?

Alicia Murray, LMHCD, is the creator of Therapist HQ, a digital platform for therapists ready to transition into entrepreneurship. I invited Alicia to discuss how group practice employees can protect themselves against extractive policies and how group practice owners can revamp their misaligned structures.

GUEST BIO Alicia Murray, LMHCD, based out of Syracuse, NY, is a group practice owner and consultant for therapists going into private practice. In-between sessions, you can find her binging TLC shows, spending time with her husband and two young children, or hitting up her favorite coffee shops and ice cream stands. Free resources for therapists are available here.

***

Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future.

Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year!

Or join our 2026 Authentic Leaders Group and get 1 year of GP(R) membership for FREE!

Next Authentic Leaders Group cohort starts May 1, 2026.

This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now!

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

Trauma-informed leadership, psychological safety, and accountability in group practice culture.

The TL;DR takeaway from today's episode is: to change the systems and institutions harming us, we must commit to the work. All of it, the intra- and interpersonal.

Poonam Natha can help us with this assignment. She views "the work" as a lifelong process of balancing individualism and collectivism rather than choosing one over the other. Poonam's nuanced opinion is rooted in her lived experience as the eldest daughter of immigrant parents and a self-described cycle-breaker.

GUEST BIO

Poonam Natha, LMFT, is a co-founder of Level Up Leaders Inc. She aims to support group practice owners to cultivate psychological safety values-aligned workplaces by stepping into their authentic leadership with clarity, compassion, and courage. Along with her co-founder, Julianne Guso, their philosophy of trauma-informed leadership begins with honoring your own humanity so you can honor the humanity of your team.

Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026.

This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now!

Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show!

The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work.

So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

Shawn Hondorp on creativity, IFS protector parts, and building a practice that actually feels alive.

This episode is your practical guide to feeling alive in messy times. But "feeling" is only part of the equation. "Doing" is what drives change. It transforms our private creative practices into a collective, disruptive force.

Shawn Hondorp, PhD., is a maven of creativity and as the creator of The Innovative Therapist podcast and community, she supports therapists and helpers in creating the work that feels fully alive and authentic, blending psychology, creativity, and courageous self-trust. Shawn's deeply personal healing journey continues to shape her professional pursuits. What started as "research" eventually became "me-search" as clinical insights gave way to growing comfort with vulnerability.

GUEST BIO

Shawn Hondorp, PhD., is a community builder, retreat host, and adventurer who has gradually forged her own path away from an academic career as a board-certified clinical psychologist. As the creator of The Innovative Therapist podcast and community, she helps therapists and helpers create work that feels fully alive and authentic—blending psychology, creativity, and courageous self-trust to inspire more sustainable, joyful ways of living and working.

Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026.

This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now!

Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show!

The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work.

So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

From Boomer Hierarchies to Gen Z Autonomy, revolutionary communication insights for owners, managers, and clinicians in group practice.

If you're navigating leadership across multiple generations and feeling the strain, this episode is for you.

And yes, before you ask, we're talking about generational dynamics without turning this into a "kids these days" rant. Let's get to the heart of what's brewing in group practices right now: intergenerational tension.

My guest, Calle Foster, professionals go from quiet contributors to confident, influential, credible leaders. Calle has graciously agreed to be our Millennial and GenZ cipher. They're the groups she coaches most often.

GUEST BIO

Calle Foster (she/her) spent over a decade in corporate Learning & Development before becoming a speaker and three-time certified leadership coach. She now equips Millennial and Gen Z professionals with the confidence, clarity, and people skills to lead with real impact. Her coaching blends honesty, strategy, and self-awareness to help rising leaders thrive.

***

Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST.

Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year!

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026.

This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Plus you get 1 year of Group Practice (R)evolution membership free. Apply now!

What 2026 astrology reveals about responsibility and power.

This episode of Conversations With a Wounded Healer is for you if:

• you feel paralyzed by current events, yet hopeful

• you throw major side-eye at the phrase "unprecedented times"

• you think astrology can help us forge a better future for all

Or, as my guest Steve Judd puts it, "Astrology has outlasted every religion, empire, and political system. It's been around since humanity got off its knuckles on the East African plains, looked up at the sky and went, Wow! I can see patterns there!"

GUEST BIO

Steve Judd is an astrologer with 45 years of experience, specializing in character analysis, relationship dynamics, and future exploration. Entirely self-taught, he has completed more than 40,000 readings and built a global audience through media appearances and YouTube. His direct, personable approach and long-standing expertise make him a respected voice in modern astrology.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026.

This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now!

Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show!

The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work.

So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN.

The end-of-year mental health-related assessments are in and, y'all. You. All! These reports offer some bad news and worse news. Sorry, I ran out of sugar-coating; it's been a long year.

Psychotherapy Action Network's latest survey uncovered a substantial disconnect between what PMCs, for-profit private management companies like Alma, Headway, and Rula, promise therapists and what they deliver. Shocker, I know.

While demand for mental health is exploding, power and influence are shifting to insurers and investors at the expense of patients and providers. But we possess the answers. We're a community of people dedicated to healing ourselves and caring for others in a world that's always one dictator away from total collapse. Don't let fear and loneliness lead you. We can only get through this shit together.

***

Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST.

Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year!

Get Support! Earn CEs!

• Care in Chaos: https://tinyurl.com/CareInChaosRec

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

Join our Authentic Leaders Group! Next cohort starts May 1, 2026.

This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now!

Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show!

The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work.

So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN.

Gen Z is at the mic, and they have some thoughts. I can feel my fellow "olds" getting their hackles up. But, hold on! I'm asking all of us to stay curious, regardless of generational or career-stage identity. Isn't that what we instruct our clients to do when faced with new information or complicated emotions? Time to take our own advice!

Maddie Tonjes, LCSW, is an early-career therapist at Centered Therapy Chicago with keen insights into what her generational cohort needs to thrive. And, honestly? I'm here for two suggestions in particular: creating space for client population preference to develop and fostering shame resilience related to the learning curve.

GUEST BIO

Maddie Tonjes, LCSW, (she/her) is passionate about creating a space for healing and growth through empathy, warmth, and vulnerability. She is also the Coordinator of Play + Expressive Therapies at Centered Therapy Chicago, focusing on supporting fellow clinicians in engaging in creative and play-based work with clients of all ages.

***

Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST.

Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on "have a coupon" and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year!

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy