Dating coaching for therapists is becoming a common clinical need, yet most of us were never trained to offer step-by-step support when clients want help with dating. Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is joined by evidence-based dating coach Tim Molnar to talk about practical, ethical tools therapists can use when helping clients build healthy relationships.

Many therapists feel confident helping clients unpack attachment patterns, anxiety, trauma histories, and relational dynamics. But when a client says, “I feel ready to date. Now what do I actually do?” insight alone often isn’t enough. This is where therapists helping clients with dating can start to feel uncertain about scope, competence, and next steps.

In this episode of Love, Happiness, and Success for Therapists, Tim brings a behavioral science lens to dating and shares coaching-informed frameworks that help therapists recognize when a client is facing a skills gap rather than a clinical barrier. We talk about how dating clients in therapy can benefit from practical structure, values-aligned action, and clear next steps — without therapy drifting into coaching or crossing ethical lines.

We also explore coaching vs therapy, how to thoughtfully build therapist coaching skills, and how to know when referral to evidence-based dating coaching is the most supportive and ethical option. This conversation is especially relevant for therapists navigating questions of therapist scope of practice when dating becomes a primary focus of the work.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why dating coaching for therapists has become a common clinical challenge

03:03 When insight isn’t enough and clients want practical dating support

08:53 Skills gaps vs clinical issues when dating stalls

16:22 Turning dating goals into specific, actionable steps

19:01 Reducing rejection anxiety with evidence-based tools

29:43 Online dating burnout and the case for real-world strategies

38:59 Coaching vs therapy, scope of practice, and ethical referrals

This episode touches a place many therapists recognize, even if we don’t always say it out loud. We’re often expected to hold complexity, offer clarity, and navigate ethical gray areas without much guidance ourselves.

If you want more connection, consultation, and support around these kinds of questions, you can learn more at growingself.com/therapists. And if you’re curious about expanding your skill set with clear ethical boundaries, you can also learn more about coaching certification for therapists here.

As always, I invite you to notice where you feel confident offering direction, and where you may be defaulting to insight when a client is actually asking for guidance. Getting clearer about that distinction can make a meaningful difference, for your clients and for you.

xoxo,

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

Growing Self

What if your client’s self-esteem struggles aren’t about deficits — but about being in the wrong role?

Many therapists work with clients who feel chronically discouraged, stuck in career dissatisfaction, or locked into exhausting power struggles with their partners. Often, these clients come in believing something is “wrong” with them — when in reality, they’re operating far outside their natural strengths.

In this feed-drop episode, I’m sharing a conversation with Patrick Lencioni, creator of the Working Genius assessment, about a framework that helps clients quickly identify where they shine — and where things will always feel harder, no matter how much effort they apply.

This is one of my favorite tools right now for:

Supporting clients with low self-esteem

Helping couples understand recurring conflict patterns

Normalizing frustration without diagnosing it

Creating forward momentum in career and life decisions

You’ll hear how Working Genius brings clarity to:

Why capable people feel incompetent in certain environments

How different “genius types” clash in relationships and work

How therapists can use this tool to depersonalize conflict and shame

If you’re a therapist or counselor looking for a fast, accessible assessment that clients actually get, this episode will give you a new lens you can start using immediately.

🎧 Try it yourself. Patrick was so kind to create a special discount offer exclusively for my listeners.  Visit workinggenius.com and use code LHS for a reduced cost. Feel free to share that access code with your clients too so they don't have to pay full price for this assessment if you want to try it out.

Tune in to get all the details about how to use this assessment, the kind of change it creates, and the different types of genius that are often undervalued in our culture. If this sparks ideas for your work, come find me on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear how you’re using it.

Xo, 

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

There's a mismatch of expectations between therapists and their clients. A lot of therapy clients—especially the high-functioning ones—walk into therapy thinking, “Great. I’m hiring someone who can help me make meaningful changes in my real life.” They’re looking for clarity, strategy, momentum, and better outcomes.

But many therapists (often without realizing it) meet them through a clinical-treatment lens: we start assessing, conceptualizing, and listening for pathology, assuming the “real work” is deeper healing, insight, or excavation of old pain. And for these clients, that can feel like we’re missing the point. They didn’t come in to be analyzed—they came in to get unstuck. When the process doesn’t match their goals, therapy can quickly start to feel slow, irrelevant, or not worth the investment.

The fix isn’t “do therapy better.” It’s recognizing that different clients need different kinds of help—and being willing to broaden how you work. When we expand our toolkit with more directive, skills-based, and coaching-informed interventions (while staying inside ethical boundaries), we can meet these clients where they actually are—and help them create the change they came for.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why clients may disengage when therapy doesn’t work for their stated goals

Common mismatches between therapist training and client expectations in therapy

How scope of competence impacts therapy outcomes and ethical decision-making

The limitations of insight-oriented therapy for non-clinical or highly functional clients

Thanks for tuning in to this episode and sharing it with other clinicians in your professional circle who you think might need to hear it. I'll be so interested to hear what you think about this episode.

Connect with me on LinkedIn and let's continue the conversation!

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

More free resources to support your Love, Happiness, and Success as a therapist at GrowingSelf.com!

If you don’t have a clear answer to the question, “What kind of therapist am I?”, your work may feel harder than it needs to be. Discovering your niche as a therapist isn’t about branding or boxing yourself in. It’s about professional clarity, clinical confidence, and building a practice that feels focused rather than scattered.

Many therapists default to being generalists, especially early in their careers, without realizing how much that diffusion can erode satisfaction, effectiveness, and long-term sustainability. If you’ve ever felt unsure how to describe your work, or noticed that doing a little bit of everything leaves you drained or unfocused, this conversation is for you.

In this episode of Love, Happiness, and Success for Therapists, I’m revisiting an essential conversation about why therapy specialization is a core part of ethical professional development, not a marketing trend. I walk through a realistic, thoughtful process for clarifying your niche over time, including self-assessment, gaining experience, pursuing training, and communicating your expertise with intention and integrity.

We also talk about how personal values, lived experience, and natural strengths shape professional identity, why niche clarity often evolves across a career, and how coaching psychology can complement therapy for clinicians who are drawn to growth-oriented work. This episode is an invitation to move out of diffusion and into alignment, in a way that supports both you and the clients who rely on your expertise.

Episode Breakdown:

If you’re in the middle of figuring out who you are as a therapist and where your work is headed, I want you to know this process takes time, and you don’t have to rush it. One of the primary ways I support therapists beyond this podcast is through The Growth Collective for Therapists, a professional home for clinicians who want thoughtful consultation, meaningful mentorship, and support building a practice that feels sustainable and aligned over the long term.

xoxo,

Perinatal mental health is one of the most important clinical issues therapists encounter and one of the most frequently overlooked. When a client is pregnant or newly postpartum, distress is often minimized as “just part of the transition,” even when something more serious is happening beneath the surface. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re asking the right questions, or worried you might be missing something with a pregnant or postpartum client, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Love, Happiness, and Success for Therapists, I’m joined by my colleague Catherine Fredrickson, LMFT, a perinatal mental health–certified therapist at Growing Self. Catherine brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to a grounded, practical conversation about how perinatal mental health concerns actually show up in the therapy room. We talk about how to assess for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, how to differentiate between expected hormonal shifts and clinically significant symptoms, and the subtle language cues that can signal deeper distress, including disconnection, self-blame, and feelings of unworthiness as a parent.

This conversation is a reminder that perinatal mental health is not a niche specialty but a core clinical competency for therapists working with adults, couples, and families.

Episode Breakdown:

34:35 Perinatal mental health in military families and solo parenting

If you’ve been feeling isolated in your work, or quietly wondering how long you can keep doing this on your own, I want you to know you’re not alone. One of the primary ways I support therapists beyond this podcast is through The Growth Collective for Therapists, a professional home I created for clinicians who want real consultation, meaningful connection, and support building a practice that feels sustainable and life-giving, not depleting.

The Growth Collective brings together licensed therapists who are ready to receive the same level of care they give every day through monthly consultation, clinical supervision, CEU trainings, and practical guidance for building a stable, fulfilling private practice. If you’ve been missing community, feeling isolated in your work, or edging toward burnout, this space was built with you in mind.

xoxo,

If you’re a therapist who uses acceptance commitment therapy with clients but quietly struggles to apply those same principles to your own life or practice, this conversation is for you. Acceptance commitment therapy offers powerful tools for values-based living, psychological flexibility, and sustainable change, yet many therapists find it surprisingly hard to turn that wisdom inward.

In this episode of Love, Happiness, and Success for Therapists, I’m joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Diana Hill, a world-recognized expert in acceptance commitment therapy, to talk about why therapists so often mismanage their energy, undervalue their own genius, and stay stuck in versions of their work that no longer fit. We explore how ACT principles can help therapists evolve without burning out, abandoning the profession, or losing what makes this work meaningful.

Diana shares how stories about who we’re “supposed” to be as therapists can quietly limit growth, why flexibility with identity matters just as much as flexibility with thoughts, and how the future of therapy will increasingly reward depth, attunement, and humanity over rigid protocols. We also talk candidly about career evolution, second chapters, and what it looks like to build a practice that supports your life rather than consumes it.

Episode Breakdown:

If you’re feeling pulled toward a second chapter in your work as a therapist, or simply craving more support, clarity, and room to breathe, I want you to know you don’t have to figure this out alone. One of the primary ways I support therapists who want to stay engaged, energized, and genuinely fulfilled in this profession is through The Growth Collective for Therapists.

It’s a professional home I created for therapists who want real consultation, thoughtful mentorship, and community with people who truly understand the weight and responsibility of this work. It offers the support of a high-quality group practice without giving up your independence, values, or financial autonomy, so you can build a career that feels sustainable and alive over the long haul.

And if you’d like to stay connected, come find me on LinkedIn. I truly enjoy hearing what this work brings up for you and where you’re feeling ready to grow next.

xoxo,

If you’ve ever noticed this work starting to feel heavier, flatter, or more draining than it used to, this is for you. “Why therapists need to grow too” is a question many clinicians never stop to ask, even though the answer is often at the heart of burnout, boredom, and long-term career dissatisfaction. When growth slows, even deeply meaningful work can begin to feel exhausting.

This week on Love, Happiness, and Success For Therapists, I’m revisiting an essential conversation about why intentional personal and professional growth is critical for a sustainable, satisfying career as a therapist. Over the years, I’ve seen how easy it is for growth to quietly stall once you’re licensed and established, even for deeply committed clinicians. Self-care matters, but it isn’t enough on its own. What truly restores energy and engagement over time is learning, stretching, being challenged, and continuing to develop both clinically and personally.

I share what I’ve seen over decades of practice about how stagnation shows up for therapists, how it affects our clients, and why checking the continuing education box is not the same as pursuing growth that is genuinely life-giving. We explore mentorship, consultation, self-of-the-therapist work, and new learning as powerful ways to reconnect with curiosity, confidence, and purpose in your work.

We also talk about how growth looks different for different therapists. For some, that means new clinical modalities or specialization. For others, it may involve coaching psychology, research, leadership, or deeper self-reflection with trusted mentors. There is no single right path, but there is a shared responsibility to keep evolving alongside the clients who place their trust in us.

Episode Breakdown:

As you’re thinking about your own growth as a therapist, I want you to know this work was never meant to be done alone. One of the most meaningful ways I support clinicians who want to stay engaged, energized, and genuinely fulfilled over the long haul is through The Growth Collective for Therapists. It’s a professional home I created for therapists who want real consultation, thoughtful mentorship, and a community that understands the weight and responsibility of this work. If you’re ready to invest in your own growth with the same care you bring to your clients, I’d love to share this space with you.

And if you’d like to stay connected, come find me on LinkedIn! I truly enjoy hearing what this work brings up for you and where you’re feeling ready to grow next.

xoxo,

Clinical hypnosis may be the closest thing we have to an “easy button” for helping clients follow through on the changes they want to make. This time of year, therapists and coaches see a surge of motivated clients. They're setting big goals for the new year, dreaming about who they want to become, and walking into sessions full of intention. But what happens next is all too familiar: action stalls, patterns repeat, and clients feel stuck between what they want to do and what they actually do.

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Dr. David Spiegel, Stanford professor, past president of the American College of Psychiatrists, and author of over 400 peer-reviewed studies on clinical hypnosis. We’re exploring a powerful, research-backed tool that bridges the gap between intention and action and helps clients create real change.

We talk about the science of clinical hypnosis and how it can shift thought patterns, physiological responses, and entrenched behaviors, why it works when insight alone doesn’t, and how technology is making it accessible to everyone. Dr. Spiegel also guides me (and you) through a live mini-session so you can feel what this approach is like yourself.

Episode Breakdown:

Dr. Spiegel’s work reframes hypnosis from a fringe intervention to an accessible, evidence-based technique that can help clients reduce anxiety, sleep better, and finally take the action they’re ready for.

And the best news? Dr. David Spiegel is joining us for a free, 1-hour CEU-accredited training on clinical hypnosis on January 9th at 10am MT, exclusively for therapists. Dr. Spiegel has been teaching this to medical students and psychiatrists at Stanford for 40 years, he’s presented on this topic at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and he’s now making his time available for YOU.

You’ll walk away with:

A solid understanding of how clinical hypnosis supports neuroplasticity and mind-body connection

The clinically proven uses of hypnosis for stress relief, pain management, addiction, sleep challenges, performance anxiety, and habit change

Why clinical hypnosis works when other approaches don’t

How technology is making hypnosis more accessible than ever

🔗 Register for the free clinical hypnosis CEU: https://courses.growingself.com/ceu-trainings-for-therapists

Whether your clients want to reduce stress, change habits, or step into a new version of themselves in the new year, this is a training you won’t want to miss.

Let’s learn from the best. I’ll see you there!

xoxo,

If you’re a therapist who’s quietly thinking, “I cannot do 30 more years of back-to-back sessions… but I don’t know what else is possible,” you are so not alone. Also, you have tons of transferable skills and deep knowledge that could be deployed to help not just individuals, but organizations flourish and thrive. Most therapists are never exposed to organizational consulting or executive coaching. However, this can be a really exciting and lucrative career path for professional therapists. In fact, becoming an organizational consultant or executive coach is one path that opens far more doors than most clinicians realize.

If this idea just lit something up inside of you, I am so glad that you are here for today's episode of Love, Happiness, and Success for Therapists.

I’m talking with psychologist and trusted leadership advisor Dr. Shannon Sheehan Jennings (Dr. J), a PsyD in Business Psychology who supports mid-market CEOs with the “sticky human stuff” behind growth and change: hard conversations, power dynamics, trust ruptures, and decisions that actually stick. Dr. Shannon walks us through her own pivot from therapist to organizational consultant, what executive coaching really looks like in the wild (small businesses vs. big corporate settings), and the specific business concepts you’ll want to learn so you can take your existing clinical skills into boardrooms, leadership teams, and workplace systems with confidence and integrity as an organizational consultant or executive coach.

Episode Breakdown:

We also talk honestly about coaching vs. therapy, scope of practice, and how to protect both yourself and the public in a largely unregulated coaching and organizational consulting landscape, while still giving yourself permission to grow past the therapy room and into the kind of work that lights you up.

If you’re craving more support as you sort out your next professional chapter, including a possible move into work as an organizational consultant or executive coach, I’d love to invite you to The Growth Collective for Therapists - a space I created so you don’t have to do this work in isolation anymore. It’s a genuine professional home for therapists who want real consultation, real community, and guidance for building a career that feels sustainable and alive.

And if you’d like to stay connected, come find me on LinkedIn! I truly enjoy hearing your thoughts, questions, and ideas about how we as therapists can step into leadership, coaching, and organizational life in a bigger way.

xoxo,

Holidays can bring up a lot - gratitude, tenderness, loneliness, longing. It’s a season that puts belonging under a spotlight. That’s why this felt like the right time to bring back this conversation about A Home Within and the impact of being one steady, caring adult in the life of a young person who hasn’t had that before.

Many young people in foster care grow up without one consistent adult who stays. In this conversation, Candice Simonds, Chief Program Officer at A Home Within, shares how their model changes that by pairing youth with therapists who can remain a steady presence without insurance limits or agency cutoffs.

We talk about how A Home Within began, what repeated loss does to young people, and why one long-term, caring relationship can shift a life. Candice also shares how the organization supports therapists through consultation groups, CEUs, and community so no one is holding this work alone.

Their long-term research is hopeful: less anxiety and depression, more stability, more possibility. We also name the hard reality that without support, many former foster youth end up unhoused or involved in the justice system. Through it all, Candice points out the resilience she sees in her clients and why this work continues to matter so deeply.

Episode Breakdown:

Conversations like this always remind me how much heart therapists bring to their work and how much we hold behind the scenes. Being that steady person for someone else is sacred work, but it can also feel incredibly lonely when you don’t have your own circle of support.

That’s why I created The Growth Collective for Therapists. It’s a place where you don’t have to be the strong one all the time. A place to think through hard cases with people who truly get it, to feel grounded again, and to have colleagues who care about you as a whole person, not just as a clinician.

If you’ve been craving that kind of connection and steadiness in your own professional life, I’d love to welcome you in. 

And if you want to stay connected in a simpler way, come find me on LinkedIn! I love hearing from fellow therapists who believe in relational, heart-forward work.

xoxo,