The Australia Counselling Podcast

Have you ever considered starting a podcast? If you want to start a podcast, now may be the perfect time to catch the wave of the podcast revolution taking the world by storm.

Never before in our history has it been so easy to reach a worldwide audience via podcasting. This is the perfect vehicle to get your message out to new people and raise awareness of you, your ideas, your services and products.

Podcast growth has been enormous over the last few years. The Pew Research Centre has found that:

In this episode of The Australia Counselling Podcast I talk you through how to start your own podcast from scratch. After producing almost 100 episodes with 61,000 downloads to date, I've got some idea of what's involved and some great tips for you as well.

Here's what I cover in this episode:

In this episode of The Australia Counselling Podcast, listen to founder Clinton Power share his thoughts on why he thinks the Australian psychotherapy industry is in crisis.

The seven reasons the Australian psychotherapy industry is in crisis are:

Get the show notes with all the links and resources mentioned in this episode at http://australiacounselling.com.au/session93

As a therapist in private practice, you're probably not excited when it comes time to do your bookkeeping and accounting. You came into this field because you love working with clients and changing people's lives and likely don't have a background in finance or economics.

However, if you don't stay on top of your numbers, your therapy business is flying blind without clear goals and strategy for increasing your income over time.

So we spoke with accountant and financial expert Amanda Fisher, who has recently published a book called Unscramble Your Numbers: Unlock the Secrets to Your Business Cashflow about how therapists can start to manage their finances better and get their business on track for financial success.

In this interview Amanda discusses:

Get the show notes at http://australiacounselling.com.au/91

Psychotherapy and counselling in the United States is vastly different from Australia in terms of the culture and the development of the industry as a whole. Yet there are many valuable lessons Australian therapists can take from U.S. therapists in how to build a successful private practice.

So we spoke to an Australian therapist Roby Abeles who has lived and worked extensively in the U.S. and Australia to find out more and get tips for building a successful private practice.

In this interview Roby shares:

the fundamental differences in how U.S. therapists approach marketing a private practice

Get the show notes with all the links and resources mentioned in this episode at http://australiacounselling.com.au/session89

Most psychotherapists today will agree it’s essential to include the client’s body in the therapeutic process for therapy to be effective.

The mind-body connection has been reinforced by emerging research over the last decade, which shows the mind and body are inseparable when it comes to how we operate as human beings.

Hakomi therapy, which is a form of mindfulness-centred somatic (mind-body) psychotherapy emerged in the 1970’s from founder Ron Kurtz.

Hakomi means “how do I stand in relation to all things?” and is a good description of how Hakomi works. So we spoke with Australian Certified Hakomi practitioner Carol Perry about what Hakomi is and why this mind-body therapy approach is so powerful.

In this podcast Carol discusses:

•what is Hakomi therapy and where it came from

•an outline of the Hakomi approach

•how to track your clients non-verbal behaviour and use therapeutically

•when using Hakomi might be contraindicated

•why is it important to include the body in psychotherapy

•the place for disclosure in Hakomi therapy

•how her mindfulness and meditation practice has influenced her work

•a successful case study demonstrating the use of Hakomi therapy

Get the show notes with all the links and resources mentioned in this episode at http://australiacounselling.com.au/88

Have you ever had the experience of trying to remember all the things you need to do in your life and therapy practice, but you struggle to keep on top of your paperwork, tasks and To Dos?

Well the hugely popular app Evernote is an incredible tool that can become your 'digital brain' where you will never have to search for an email or lost paperwork again.

In this interview, technology coach Helen Crozier from Keyboard Karma returns again to the Australia Counselling Podcast to share how you can use this powerful tool to improve your productivity.

In this interview she discusses:

It seems that affairs and infidelity are on the rise, particularly with the rise of websites like Ashley Madison, which has the tagline "Life is Short. Have an Affair." And the recent hacking of Ashley Madison has  brought the topic of affairs and infidelity back into the spotlight.

So we spoke to Dr. Tammy Nelson, who is a sex and relationship expert, an international speaker, an author and a licensed psychotherapist who has written extensively about infidelity and what she calls the "continuum of monogamy."

In this episode Tammy discusses:

Get the show notes with all the links and resources mentioned in this episode at http://australiacounselling.com.au/session83

Have you ever considered going on a silent retreat?

Perhaps you're terrified at the idea of not speaking and disconnecting from technology for a week. Or maybe you can't comprehend what would be the purpose of meditating for day after day. Or perhaps you already have a meditation practice, but think you're not ready for a week of mindfulness and meditation.

However, a silent retreat can be deeply rejuvenating and is a deep form of self-care. And as therapists, it's essential we take care of ourselves so we can be in the best state to provide care and attention for our clients.

I recently went on a silent retreat and reflected on the numerous personal and clinical benefits.

In this episode I share 5 compelling reasons why every therapist needs to experience a silent retreat.

The 5 reasons are:

I also interview three Australia Counselling members who have been on silent retreat with me to ask them about their experiences.

Get the show notes at http://australiacounselling.com.au/session82

Email marketing is a powerful form of marketing because it helps your readers to know, like and trust you over time.

An email newsletter is a great way for therapists to stay in touch with prospective clients as well as build your email list.

However many therapists are still not using this effective medium to long-term marketing strategy as part of their marketing plan.

In this podcast I cover the most important things you need to know to get started with an email newsletter for your therapy practice.

In this interview I discuss:

Why have an email newsletter?

The importance of choosing a topic for your email newsletter

Why you need to decide on a publishing schedule

Email marketing software recommendations

Email marketing templates - why mobile responsive is critical

How to find content ideas for your newsletter

How to structure your email newsletter

Additional links and resources to include in your newsletter

How to start capturing leads for your newsletter

Thank you pages and final welcome emails

Advanced email newsletter tips

The value of getting help and outsourcing parts of your email newsletter

Get the show notes at http://australiacounselling.com.au/session81

Diabetes is a serious disease which if left untreated, can have enormous consequences for the health of the diabetic.

However, the mental health of people with diabetes is often not discussed, yet is often impacted by this disease. It's not uncommon for diabetics to suffer from mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and relationship issues.

Australia Counselling member Carolien Koreneff has the unique skills of being a diabetes educator as well as a somatic psychotherapist. So we spoke with her about how diabetes and mental health are closely related.

In this interview Carolien shares:

•How she started working in the field of diabetes

•A background about the field of diabetes and therapy – 3:00

•What is diabetes and the different types of diabetes - 4:15

•Why type 1 diabetes is considered a more serious health issue – 6:00

•Other ways diabetes impacts people – 6:25

•The mental health issues for people with diabetes – 8:00

•How Carolien combines Diabetes education work with psychosomatic therapy work - 9:15

•What counsellors should you be aware of when encountering clients with diabetes – 11:50

•Warning signs to watch for when glucose levels drop low – 12:55

•The importance of mood regulation for diabetics – 14:25

•Relationship issues that can arise during mood changes – 15:05

•How she helps her clients increase their body awareness and tune into what their body is telling them – 15:50

Get the show notes with all the links and resources mentioned in this episode at http://australiacounselling.com.au/79