In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Kade Sharp, an Autistic, queer, trans clinician and sexologist, talk about their journey balancing private practice, a PhD program, and advocacy for disabled, queer, and neurodivergent communities.

Here are 3 key takeaways:

1. Follow Your Special Interests: Choosing a dissertation topic that aligned with Kade's passions (like “Kink on the Spectrum”) helped them stay motivated through the ups and downs of getting a PhD. Leaning into what energizes you can be your best fuel.
2. Intentional Energy Management is Vital: Balancing private practice, academic work, and personal life required continuous adjustment for Kade. Building in buffer time for self-care and allowing others to help you recognize burnout cues is essential for sustainability.
3. Community Makes the Difference: Surrounding yourself with people invested in your journey boosts motivation, creativity, and resilience. Finding your supportive community matters.

It's important to work toward creating affirming space and more accessible, representative mental health care. If you’re considering a new degree, niche, or direction—let your interests and passions guide you.

More about Kade:

Dr. Kade Sharp (he/they) is an Autistic, queer, trans Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Certified Sex Therapist, and Child Mental Health Specialist practicing in Washington state. He specializes in supporting disabled, queer, non-cis Autistic and AuDHD clients of all ages, as well as neurodivergent supervisees. He has his PhD in Clinical Sexology through Modern Sex Therapy Institutes. Kade runs the Curious Cryptid Learning continuing education platform for therapists. He is also a co-host for the Aces Up Your Sleeve Podcast, where he and Sabrina Longley give insight into navigating Autistic and AuDHD life as two Autistic, asexuality-spectrum therapists. Kade loves helping people figure out they're Autistic, playing board and card games, roleplaying, reality TV, true crime, and his 2 adopted senior cats.

The Autistic Clinical Insights symposium is coming up, and Kade is on the Leadership team. It's a grassroots, Autistic-led symposium for mental health professionals with a focus on presenters with lived experience and clinical knowledge. It's held virtually Nov. 14-16th and offers over 13 NBCC CEs. Join here: autisticclinicalinsights.com

• Courses: cryptidlearns.com
• Podcast: neurokink.org/auys
• Facebook: facebook.com/cryptidlearns
• Instagram: instagram.com/cryptidlearns

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Thanks to Our Sponsors: The Receptionist for iPad, Alma, Beyond Private Practice: Recession Proofing Intensive, All Things Private Practice — 2025 & 2026 Retreats, & Resilient Mind Counseling!

✨ The Receptionist for iPad

Thanks to The Receptionist for iPad for sponsoring this episode.

The Receptionist offers an iPad list check-in option where clients can scan a QR code to check in, which negates the need for you to buy an iPad and stand. Go to thereceptionist.com/privatepractice and sign up for a free 14-day trial. When you do, you'll get your first month free. And don't forget to ask about our iPad list check-in option.

✨ Alma

Thanks to Alma for sponsoring this episode.

Building and managing the practice you want can be challenging. That’s why Alma offers tools and resources to help you build not just any practice, but your private practice. They’ll help you navigate insurance, access referrals who are the right fit for you, and efficiently manage administrative tasks — so you can spend less time on the details and more time delivering great care. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Visit helloalma.com/ATPP to learn more.

✨ Beyond Private Practice: Recession Proofing Intensive

It's Patrick from All Things Private Practice. I know a lot of you are feeling uncertain right now about your caseloads, the economy, or what the next year's going to look like for your practice. I get it. Things are weird out there right now. That is exactly why I created the "Beyond Private Practice: Recession Proofing Intensive," a 5-hour, live, neurodivergent-affirming, online event happening on Friday, December 12th, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM EST. We will talk about real, tangible ways to diversify your income through podcasting, retreats, writing that book of yours, and speaking engagements; they're all symbiotic and feed into each other. I'm gonna show you exactly how to leverage and maximize so you can build stability and freedom no matter what's happening around you. The cost for the intensive is only $299, valued at over $2,500, because I want this to be accessible. Just to let you in on some behind-the-scenes, my wife works for the federal government and hasn't been paid for weeks due to the shutdown. So yeah, things are tight, but I also know how powerful this work is, and I want to make sure to give back to the therapist community that has supported me through everything I've created the last four years. You'll walk away with strategies, templates, confidence, clarity, and 4 NBCC CEs. Go to allthingspractice.com/beyond-recession-intensive to grab your spot. Doubt yourself and do it anyway.

✨ All Things Private Practice — 2025 & 2026 Retreats

All Things Private Practice has some amazing retreat experiences coming up in 2025 and 2026.

We have two retreats in Queenstown, New Zealand. The first is for Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs from March 1st to 8th, and the second retreat, Beyond Private Practice, focuses on moving beyond one-on-one therapy and creating alternative income streams from March 15th to 22nd.

Spaces are limited, so check the links to sign up today. Doubt yourself, do it anyway!

• Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs in Queenstown, New Zealand: allthingspractice.com/new-zealand-neurodivergent
• Beyond Private Practice in Queenstown, New Zealand: allthingspractice.com/new-zealand-income-streams

✨ Resilient Mind Counseling

My name is Patrick Casale, and I’m the founder of Resilient Mind Counseling, a neurodivergent-affirming group practice based in Asheville serving clients throughout North Carolina via telehealth and in-person sessions.

Our practice is passionate about supporting Autistic adults, ADHDers, and other neurodivergent individuals, along with the LGBTQIA+ community and folks experiencing anxiety, burnout, and life transitions. Many of our clinicians identify as neurodivergent themselves, and we pride ourselves on offering therapy that is affirming, authentic, and grounded in lived experience.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Receptionist for iPad

I want to thank The Receptionist for iPad for sponsoring this episode.

From new patients faced with an empty lobby and no idea where to find their therapist to clinicians with a session running over time and the doorbell ringing, some of the most anxiety-ridden moments of a therapy appointment happen before a session even starts. The Receptionist for iPad, helps you tackle some of that pre-appointment apprehension and anxiety. The Receptionist for iPad is an easy-to-use digital client check-in system that helps your visitors check in securely to their appointments and notify their practitioners of their arrival via SMS, email, or your preferred channel. No more confusion, and less lobby checking or having clients sign in on paper logbooks. It can even help you upgrade and update your demographic information for your clients as well and even validate parking.

Start a 14-day free trial of the Receptionist for iPad by going to thereceptionist.com/privatepractice. Make sure to start your trial with that link and you'll also get your first month free if you decide to sign up.

All Things Private Practice — 2025 & 2026 Retreats

All Things Private Practice has some amazing retreat experiences coming up in 2025 and 2026. Join us in Edinburgh, Scotland for the second Doubt Yourself, Do It Anyway Summit from July 14th to 17th, 2025! We have an incredible lineup of 12 speakers and offer 12 MBCCEs. If you're a leader or aspiring to start a group practice, join our Leadership Retreat in Chania, Crete, from September 6th to 11th. In 2026, we have two retreats in Queenstown, New Zealand. The first is for Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs from March 1st to 8th, and the second retreat, Beyond Private Practice, focuses on moving beyond one-on-one therapy and creating alternative income streams from March 15th to 22nd. Spaces are limited, so check the links to sign up today. Doubt yourself, do it anyway!

Doubt Yourself, Do It Anyway Summit in Scotland: https://www.empoweredescapes.com/scotland-july-2025-summit

Leadership Retreat in Chania, Crete: https://www.empoweredescapes.com/greece-retreat-2025

Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs in Queenstown, New Zealand: https://www.allthingspractice.com/new-zealand-neurodivergent

Beyond Private Practice in Queenstown, New Zealand: https://www.allthingspractice.com/new-zealand-income-streams

Alma

I want to thank Alma for sponsoring this episode.

Building and managing the practice you want can be challenging. That’s why Alma offers tools and resources to help you build not just any practice, but your private practice. They’ll help you navigate insurance, access referrals who are the right fit for you, and efficiently manage administrative tasks — so you can spend less time on the details, and more time delivering great care. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Visit helloalma.com/ATPP to learn more.

Beyond Private Practice: Recession Proofing Intensive

It's Patrick from All Things Private Practice. I know a lot of you are feeling uncertain right now about your caseloads, the economy, or what the next year's going to look like for your practice. I get it. Things are weird out there right now. That is exactly why I created the "Beyond Private Practice: Recession Proofing Intensive," a 5-hour, live, neurodivergent-affirming, online event happening on Friday, December 12th, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM EST. We will talk about real, tangible ways to diversify your income through podcasting, retreats, writing that book of yours, and speaking engagements; they're all symbiotic and feed into each other. I'm gonna show you exactly how to leverage and maximize so you can build stability and freedom no matter what's happening around you. The cost for the intensive is only $299, valued at over $2,500, because I want this to be accessible. Just to let you in on some behind-the-scenes, my wife works for the federal government and hasn't been paid for weeks due to the shutdown. So yeah, things are tight, but I also know how powerful this work is, and I want to make sure to give back to the therapist community that has supported me through everything I've created the last four years. You'll walk away with strategies, templates, confidence, clarity, and 4 NBCC CEs. Go to allthingspractice.com/beyond-recession-intensive to grab your spot. Doubt yourself and do it anyway.

Resilient Mind Counseling

It's Patrick. Some of you may know that I own a group therapy practice in North Carolina, Resilient Mind Counseling. We specialize in supporting the Neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, and Black, Brown, and Asian communities online and across North Carolina. We also have limited in-person openings at our offices in Asheville and Cary. We really love working with clients who are coming to terms with both Autism and ADHD discoveries later in life or questioning, as well as the intersections of race, gender, identity, and orientation. All of our therapists have lived experience and identify as AuDHD, Autistic, or ADHD. Our team of affirming therapists offers a safe, anti-racist, anti-oppressive, inclusive, and accessible space where you can show up exactly as you are—no masking, no judgment, and no need to make eye contact, just real connection and healing. We accept most commercial insurances like Blue Cross Blue Shield, United, Aetna, and Med Cost, as well as self-pay options. We currently have openings for new clients. Visit our website at resilientmindcounseling.com. You can also text or call our HIPAA-compliant phone line at (828) 515-1246, or email us at [email protected].