Therapy is meant to be a place of healing - but what happens when it causes harm instead?

In this powerful episode, I’m joined by therapist, supervisor and trainer Erin Stevens, who specialises in working with people who have experienced harm in previous therapy. Together we explore how harm in therapy can happen - even when we have good intentions - and what we can do as therapists to reduce the risk, respond to rupture, and create safer therapeutic spaces.

We talk about the role of power and boundaries, why cultural misattunement often goes unacknowledged, and how shame can block honest reflection in supervision. Erin also shares their own story of being harmed in therapy and what helped them come back to the profession with compassion and clarity.

Whether you’ve ever worried you might be getting it wrong - or just want to understand this issue more deeply - this conversation is for you.

Takeaways:

• What “harm in therapy” really means - and why it’s so often missed
• How boundary confusion and power imbalances can erode trust
• The emotional labour of marginalised clients
• Why naming harm doesn’t make you a bad therapist
• How to use supervision as a place of growth, not shame
• Practical steps for making your practice safer and more accountable

Erin Stevens (she/they) is a therapist, supervisor, writer and trainer based in West Yorkshire. Erin specialises in working with people who have been harmed in previous therapy and is passionate about raising awareness of the increased risk of harm for clients with marginalised identities. They offer therapy, consultation and training and you can visit their website HERE

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

Keywords:

therapy, harm, mental health, boundaries, cultural misattunement, supervision, client experience, therapist experience, power dynamics, prevention

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

Have your enquiries been slowing down? In this episode Josephine explores the question of whether AI is taking over from directories and what therapists can do about it. She shares a practical, human-first answer - why visibility still matters, how to show up without shouting, and simple December content ideas you can use right away.

You’ll learn

• Why AI can’t replace human connection in therapy—or your marketing
• What to do when directory profiles aren’t bringing steady enquiries
• Three ways social media helps therapists (without being “an influencer”)
• How to show up in a way that feels safe and authentic (not oversharing)
• Simple December post ideas you can reuse or adapt when you’re busy
• How reframing the purpose of your social media account can help make it easier for you to produce posts

Mentioned in this episode:

Ep 24: Social Media Toolkit

Ep 75: Grow Your Therapy Practice by Nurturing Connection with Becky Willoughby

Ep 86: Safe Self-Disclosure on Social Media

Ep 89: Is Email Counselling Real Therapy with Chloe Foster

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

Keywords:

AI, therapy, marketing, social media, visibility, trust, engagement, December content, therapist practices, client connection

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

When counsellor Gemma Anderson started her training, she never imagined it would lead to a thriving private practice. A teenage mum who once worked as a cleaner, Gemma shares how she built a successful practice without a website or social media - just through her counselling directory profiles and a down-to-earth approach. Her advice? Feel the fear and do it anyway – but ask for help.

In this honest and encouraging conversation, Gemma talks about:

• What first drew her into counselling - and the self-doubt she had to overcome.
• How life experience shaped the kind of therapist she’s become.
• Why she offers a half-price first session and focuses on being approachable and relatable.
• How she maintains a steady income by combining counselling with part-time work.
• Her practical routine for keeping her directory profiles visible and bringing in new clients.
• The importance of asking for help rather than trying to do everything alone.

Gemma’s story is a reminder that there isn’t just one way to build a counselling practice. You don’t need a slick website or constant social media posts - just a clear, authentic presence and the courage to keep going.

You can read Gemma's profile HERE

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

Email counselling is often misunderstood - some therapists worry it lacks depth, feels impersonal, or that clients simply won’t want it.

In this episode of Good Enough Counsellors, I’m joined by Chloe Foster, humanistic counsellor, trainer, and founder of Email Counselling Academy, to explore what email counselling really looks like in practice - and why it can be a powerful, ethical, and deeply reflective way of working.

Chloe explains:

• What email counselling actually involves - the structure, boundaries, and timing that make it safe and professional
• How counsellors use their skills in written form to create depth and connection
• Why clients do want email therapy, and which groups find it especially helpful (from neurodivergent clients to parents and shift workers)
• Common objections therapists have — and how to address them
• The risks of offering email counselling without specialist training, including contracting, secure systems, and managing risk safely

Chloe also shares how her passion for accessibility and ethical practice led her to create the Professional Certificate in Email Counselling - a six-month course for qualified counsellors who want to develop these skills properly. You can access the free quiz HERE and details about Email Counselling Academy HERE

If you’ve ever wondered whether email counselling is “real therapy”, or if you’ve been curious about diversifying your practice, this episode offers reassurance, insight, and inspiration.

“Email counselling isn’t just typing back and forth - it’s a structured, therapeutic exchange with clear boundaries.”

“Clients often go deeper through writing because they have time to reflect and choose their words.”

“The more accessible therapy becomes, the more people we can reach.”

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

email counselling, email therapy, online counselling training, therapist objections, benefits of email counselling, risks of email therapy, Chloe Foster, Email Counselling Academy, counsellor professional development

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

Do you ever feel like running your private practice is a bit of a roller coaster?

One week you’re full with enquiries and new bookings - and the next, it’s all cancellations and endings.

In this episode of Good Enough Counsellors, Josephine explores the emotional and practical ups and downs of private practice, and why consistency in marketing is key to creating a steadier ride.

There’s no magic wand for building a sustainable business, but there is a way to make it feel easier. Josephine shares how to make marketing a habit, manage your expectations, and measure success by your effort, not just your client numbers.

You’ll learn:

• Why quick bursts of marketing lead to “feast or famine” cycles
• How to stay consistent when you’re busy with clients
• The mindset that helps you cope with slow progress
• Simple, realistic marketing habits that keep clients coming
• Why your steady visibility builds trust and referrals over time

If you're fed up with worrying where your next client is coming from, listen to this episode to help you resolve the roller coaster ride.

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

Keywords

private practice, marketing, client acquisition, mental resilience, sustainable growth, consistency, expectations, community support, content strategy, therapy growth

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

In this powerful and eye-opening episode, I chat with Dr. Yvon Guest - therapist, speaker, trainer, and contributor to Black Identities, White Therapy - about the often-overlooked experiences of mixed and multiracial clients in therapy.

Yvon shares her own journey into this work, the invisibility many clients feel in therapeutic spaces, and the impact of growing up in families and communities where identity is constantly questioned. From internalised racism to the pressure to choose a side, and the emotional exhaustion of navigating a world full of assumptions - this episode explores what therapists need to know, and how we can show up with cultural humility, not just competence.

Whether you’ve worked with mixed-race clients or not, this episode will leave you rethinking what it means to see someone in therapy.

We discuss:

• Why many mixed-race clients feel unseen in therapy
• The emotional toll of being constantly asked, “What are you?”
• Internalised racism and dissociation as survival strategies
• The difference between cultural competence and cultural humility
• How to create safer therapeutic spaces for clients of mixed heritage
• Yvon’s upcoming conference on therapy with mixed and multiracial clients

Note

Despite heroic efforts by our sound editor, some of the audio is patchy so this episode is best listened to when it's quiet, or preferably with headphones

Conference Info: Dr. Yvon Guest is hosting a one-day online conference, Working with Mixed and Multiracial Clients in Therapy, on 28th November 2025 via Onlinevents

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

Keywords multiracial therapy, identity, race, mixed race, therapy, mental health, racism, intersectionality, gender, mixed race, cultural humility, LGBTQ

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

Self-disclosure is something many therapists are taught to avoid in the therapy room - so no wonder it feels confusing when it comes to social media. Should you share personal details? Is it unprofessional to post a photo of yourself? What if other therapists judge you?

In this episode of Good Enough Counsellors, I unpack the fear of self-disclosure on social media and how to approach it safely. I share some of my own experiences - from being terrified teaching peers for the first time, to hitting “publish” on a podcast that felt very personal - and how honesty often builds more connection than hiding ever did.

We’ll cover:

• Why therapists fear self-disclosure (and why it feels “wrong”)
• The difference between professional, personal, and private disclosure
• A simple checklist to help you decide what’s safe to share
• How small glimpses of your real life make you more relatable to clients
• Post ideas for November where you can test safe self-disclosure

Clients don’t need us to be perfect - they need us to be human. And with a thoughtful approach, you can use self-disclosure on social media to build trust and show people you’re someone they can talk to.

If you’d like support in working out what to post and how to share safely, you’ll find plenty of encouragement and practical help inside Therapy Growth Group

🎧 Listen now to find out how to be real, stay boundaried, and grow your private practice without oversharing.

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

This week, I’m chatting to Kroy Ryder, an autistic therapist who shares his story of training, self-discovery, and building a private practice that works because of who he is - not in spite of it.

Kroy is open, honest, and full of gentle humour as he talks about everything from being the quiet boy who watched from the sidelines, to finally realising he didn’t need to mask or fit in to be a good therapist.

If you’ve ever wondered whether being neurodivergent might hold you back in private practice - or you’re just trying to work out how to make it all fit - this is a lovely episode to remind you that there is a way forward, and it doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

In this episode

• How Kroy’s autism diagnosis shaped his journey into private practice
• Why he stopped trying to sound like everyone else in his profile
• The moment his niche found him
• Rejection sensitivity, endings and learning to let clients go
• Small but powerful ways he adapts his therapy room for ND clients
• What he’d say to anyone doubting if they’re “too different” to do this work

To find out more about Kroy, visit his website HERE

Like Kroy, I've found that neurodivergent people are drawn to work with me - so I aim to make Therapy Growth Group supportive for people who feel overwhelmed and aren't sure where to start. There's a clear plan to follow (so you don't have to figure it out yourself), regular live calls and body doubling sessions where you can work alongside others - even if you don't feel "ready'.

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

** NOW WITH THE CORRECT AUDIO**

If you tried to listen to the podcast issued on 25th September 2025, you'll have heard a repeat of Nicola Blunden's episode (thankfully, it was a good one). This is the corrected episode about niching.

Many therapists hold back from choosing a niche because of one big worry: “I’m not an expert, so how can I specialise?”

In this episode of Good Enough Counsellors, Josephine challenges the myth that you need years of expertise before you can choose a niche. She shares her own story of how her niche “found her,” explains why expertise grows through focus and experience, and offers gentle encouragement for anyone feeling “too ordinary” to stand out.

You’ll hear:

• Why “I need to be an expert first” is one of the biggest myths about niching
• How your interests, life experience, and placement clients can guide you
• Why clients are drawn to clarity, not to people who try to do everything
• How a niche helps you naturally build expertise over time

Plus: Josephine shares details of her October workshops in Therapy Growth Group, where she’ll be helping therapists explore and refine their niches, and a free handout to test whether your niche idea is viable.

Download the Niche Selection Scoring Sheet HERE

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

Keywords

marketing, therapists, niche, imposter syndrome, expertise, private practice, client attraction, lived experience, personal growth, Therapy Growth Group

Many therapists hold back from choosing a niche because of one big worry: “I’m not an expert, so how can I specialise?”

In this episode of Good Enough Counsellors, Josephine challenges the myth that you need years of expertise before you can choose a niche. She shares her own story of how her niche “found her,” explains why expertise grows through focus and experience, and offers gentle encouragement for anyone feeling “too ordinary” to stand out.

You’ll hear:

• Why “I need to be an expert first” is one of the biggest myths about niching
• How your interests, life experience, and placement clients can guide you
• Why clients are drawn to clarity, not to people who try to do everything
• How a niche helps you naturally build expertise over time

Plus: Josephine shares details of her October workshops in Therapy Growth Group, where she’ll be helping therapists explore and refine their niches, and a free handout to test whether your niche idea is viable.

Download the Niche Selection Scoring Sheet HERE

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

Keywords

marketing, therapists, niche, imposter syndrome, expertise, private practice, client attraction, lived experience, personal growth, Therapy Growth Group

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.