The Traveling Therapist Podcast

Spain comes up in my Facebook group almost every day, and moving to Spain is something a lot of therapists picture without really knowing where to begin. Skye Ross is in the middle of doing it right now with two young daughters, a senior rescue dog, and a private practice she’s still building.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I talk with Skye about the long road from Denver to her family’s home in Maine, and everything she’s lining up before moving to Spain in January. We get into the visa paperwork, how she’s reshaping her client schedule ahead of time, and a certification detail she definitely didn’t see coming.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• Why she and her husband decided to bring in help with the digital nomad visa.
• The visa route an attorney steered them away from.
• What she’s learned about school enrollment and housing leases before arriving in Málaga.
• How she’s setting her client hours now so the move won’t disrupt anyone.
• The EMDR surprise that changes what consulting in Europe could look like for her.

Connect with Skye:
Website: https://skyerosstherapy.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/unstuckemdr

Doing couples work from the road?
Join me for a free Auralink Pro walkthrough on Thursday, October 29th at noon Eastern with David Dixon and Sarah Curry, PhD. Save your spot here: https://auralinkprofreewebinar.manus.space/

Are you ready to take the plunge and become a Traveling Therapist? Whether you want to be a full-time digital nomad or just want the flexibility to bring your practice with you while you travel a couple of times a year, the Portable Practice Method will give you the framework to be protected!
➡️ JOIN NOW: www.portablepracticemethod.com/

Connect with me:

• www.instagram.com/thetravelingtherapist_kym
• www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/
• www.thetravelingtherapist.com

The Traveling Therapist Podcast is Sponsored by:

Berries: Say goodbye to the burden of mental health notes with automated note and treatment plan creation! www.heyberries.com/therapists

Alma: Alma is on a mission to simplify access to mental health care by focusing first and foremost on supporting clinicians www.helloalma.com/kym

A lot of therapists I talk to dream of the day they publish a book, and some of us already have one written and sitting on our laptops. I’ll admit I have a couple of my own. Getting that book out into the world is a whole different story, and I learned that the hard way.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, Charity O’Reilly is back to talk about life after her sabbatical in Europe. It sparked a new workshop for therapists who want to write books. She has published two mental health books, one that won awards and one that became a bestseller. She’s really honest about the side of publishing nobody warns therapists about, and about how that world was never built with us in mind.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• What all that rest on sabbatical opened up for Charity creatively.
• The one thing she wants every therapist to hear before they publish a book.
• The trade-offs between traditional and self-publishing, and the math most of us would rather avoid.
• Why nonfiction and fiction take completely different paths to a publisher.
• What it was like co-writing a bestseller with her husband, Tom.

Mentioned in this episode:
Episode 207: Creating Intensive Therapy Retreats That Prevent Burnout with Charity O’Reilly

Connect with Charity:
Website: https://charityoreilly.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teawithatraumatherapist
Unblocking the Writer Within: Parts Work and Publishing for Therapists: https://traumahealing.kartra.com/page/unblockingthewriterwithin

Doing couples work from the road?
Join me for a free Auralink Pro walkthrough on Thursday, October 29th at noon Eastern with David Dixon and Sarah Curry, PhD. Save your spot here: https://auralinkprofreewebinar.manus.space/

Are you ready to take the plunge and become a Traveling Therapist? Whether you want to be a full-time digital nomad or just want the flexibility to bring your practice with you while you travel a couple of times a year, the Portable Practice Method will give you the framework to be protected!
➡️ JOIN NOW: www.portablepracticemethod.com/

Connect with me:

• www.instagram.com/thetravelingtherapist_kym
• www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/
• www.thetravelingtherapist.com

The Traveling Therapist Podcast is Sponsored by:

Berries: Say goodbye to the burden of mental health notes with automated note and treatment plan creation! www.heyberries.com/therapists

Alma: Alma is on a mission to simplify access to mental health care by focusing first and foremost on supporting clinicians www.helloalma.com/kym

When people in my Facebook group start dreaming about renting out the house and living in another country for six months, the business budget is usually the part that stops them. It feels overwhelming. And honestly, the word budget makes me cringe a little too.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I'm so glad to welcome Danielle Hayden back to the show. Danielle is a CPA and the CEO of Kickstart Accounting, and she spent more than a decade as a corporate CFO before starting her own firm. We talk about why a business budget is the tool that gets you where you want to go, and I share a little about the Switzerland trip I'm planning and the conversation with my CFO that completely changed how I felt about it.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• The four money personalities and the one most of us are working toward.
• Why Danielle says not to build a budget yet, and what needs to come first.
• When it makes sense to bring a bookkeeper or fractional CFO onto your money team.
• What it looks like to react to your numbers, and how to start planning instead.
• Why this year's goal might not be growth at all.

Connect with Danielle:
Website: https://kickstartaccountinginc.com/
Gifts: https://kickstartaccountinginc.com/Danielle-Hayden/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-hayden-kickstartaccounting
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kickstartaccountinginc/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kickstartaccounting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickstartaccounting
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CEONumbersNetwork
Podcast: https://kickstartaccountinginc.com/ceo-numbers-network/

Doing couples work from the road?
Join me for a free Auralink Pro walkthrough on Thursday, October 29th at noon Eastern with David Dixon and Sarah Curry, PhD. Save your spot here: https://auralinkprofreewebinar.manus.space/

Are you ready to take the plunge and become a Traveling Therapist? Whether you want to be a full-time digital nomad or just want the flexibility to bring your practice with you while you travel a couple of times a year, the Portable Practice Method will give you the framework to be protected!
➡️ JOIN NOW: www.portablepracticemethod.com/

Connect with me:

• www.instagram.com/thetravelingtherapist_kym
• www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/
• www.thetravelingtherapist.com

The Traveling Therapist Podcast is Sponsored by:

Berries: Say goodbye to the burden of mental health notes with automated note and treatment plan creation! www.heyberries.com/therapists

Alma: Alma is on a mission to simplify access to mental health care by focusing first and foremost on supporting clinicians www.helloalma.com/kym

Everybody wants to move to Spain, but taking your therapy business overseas with a husband, a teenager, and two years of planning behind you is a different story. This was one of our most popular conversations, so I'm bringing it back as a replay for anyone who has Madrid on their vision board.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Tiffany Castellanos, who sold her home and went all in on a permanent move to Madrid. Her husband closed his dental practice, and every one of her in-person clients had to decide whether to follow her online. Tiffany shares how she's running a US-based therapy business from Europe and why the emotional side of the move ended up shaping who she serves now.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• Why having a teenager at home sped up their timeline instead of delaying it.
• How her husband's career led her to a niche she's never seen another therapist serve, plus the word she leaves off her website on purpose.
• Her answer to the insurance question that comes up in our Facebook group constantly.
• The two real downsides of living in Madrid as a self-employed therapist.
• The quote that captures what nobody tells you about building a new life abroad.

Connect with Tiffany:
Website: https://www.tiffanycastellanos.com/

Doing couples work from the road?
Join me for a free Auralink Pro walkthrough on Thursday, October 29th at noon Eastern with David Dixon and Sarah Curry, PhD. Save your spot here: https://auralinkprofreewebinar.manus.space/

Are you ready to take the plunge and become a Traveling Therapist? Whether you want to be a full-time digital nomad or just want the flexibility to bring your practice with you while you travel a couple of times a year, the Portable Practice Method will give you the framework to be protected!
➡️ JOIN NOW: www.portablepracticemethod.com/

Connect with me:

• www.instagram.com/thetravelingtherapist_kym
• www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/
• www.thetravelingtherapist.com

The Traveling Therapist Podcast is Sponsored by:

Berries: Say goodbye to the burden of mental health notes with automated note and treatment plan creation! www.heyberries.com/therapists

Alma: Alma is on a mission to simplify access to mental health care by focusing first and foremost on supporting clinicians www.helloalma.com/kym

Being a Location Independent Therapist can look completely different than you planned, and that's exactly what Tara Wells is proving in this fan favorite conversation we're replaying today. In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I catch up with returning guest Tara Wells right after a trip through India, Vietnam, and Thailand that left her with a completely different answer than she started with.

Tara comes back with a new contender for her favorite place on earth, and a plan she's no longer sure she wants. She's also building something new to help her get to wherever she lands next. If you've been holding onto a plan that doesn't feel right anymore, this one is for you.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• Why Bangkok unexpectedly tied Mexico City as Tara's favorite place in the world.
• What shifted for her after backpacking through India, Vietnam, and Thailand.
• Her process for pursuing dual Canadian citizenship through her adoptive father.
• Why she's stepping back from one-to-one clinical work to focus on speaking engagements.
• The Unpacked Mastermind, the new business community she just launched for mental health professionals.

Connect with Tara:
Finish Line Mindset: https://www.finishlinemindset.com/
The Unpacked Mastermind: https://www.theunpackedmastermind.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finishlinemindset/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@finishlinemindset

Doing couples work from the road?
Join me for a free Auralink Pro walkthrough on Thursday, October 29th at noon Eastern with David Dixon and Sarah Curry, PhD. Save your spot here: https://auralinkprofreewebinar.manus.space/

Are you ready to take the plunge and become a Traveling Therapist? Whether you want to be a full-time digital nomad or just want the flexibility to bring your practice with you while you travel a couple of times a year, the Portable Practice Method will give you the framework to be protected!
➡️ JOIN NOW: www.portablepracticemethod.com/

Connect with me:

• www.instagram.com/thetravelingtherapist_kym
• www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/
• www.thetravelingtherapist.com

The Traveling Therapist Podcast is Sponsored by:

Berries: Say goodbye to the burden of mental health notes with automated note and treatment plan creation! www.heyberries.com/therapists

Alma: Alma is on a mission to simplify access to mental health care by focusing first and foremost on supporting clinicians www.helloalma.com/kym

Every single week, someone in the Traveling Therapist Facebook group asks the same question: what do I do about liability insurance when I'm traveling? I'm replaying one of the most listened-to episodes on the show because this question never stops coming up.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I walk through what your liability insurance actually needs to see happen for you to stay covered, what changes the second you start seeing clients outside your home country, and the questions you should be asking your provider instead of guessing. I also get into what to do when local rules get murky and what your options are if the whole thing starts to feel like too much to manage on your own.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• What actually determines whether your liability insurance covers you when you're not sitting in your state of licensure.
• The one rule most traveling therapists get wrong about where they're allowed to be located.
• What changes the moment you start seeing clients in another country.
• Where to look for coverage if you're building an international or expat practice.
• What to do if liability insurance starts to feel like more than you want to manage on your own.

Mentioned in the Episode:
Portable Practice Method: https://www.portablepracticemethod.com/free-training
CPH & Associates: https://cphins.com/
HPSO (Healthcare Providers Service Organization): https://www.hpso.com/
International Therapist Directory: https://internationaltherapistdirectory.com/
European Association for Psychotherapy: https://www.europsyche.org/ 

Doing couples work from the road?
Join me for a free Auralink Pro walkthrough on Thursday, October 29th at noon Eastern with David Dixon and Sarah Curry, PhD. Save your spot here: https://auralinkprofreewebinar.manus.space/

Are you ready to take the plunge and become a Traveling Therapist? Whether you want to be a full-time digital nomad or just want the flexibility to bring your practice with you while you travel a couple of times a year, the Portable Practice Method will give you the framework to be protected!
➡️ JOIN NOW: www.portablepracticemethod.com/

Connect with me:

• www.instagram.com/thetravelingtherapist_kym
• www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/
• www.thetravelingtherapist.com

The Traveling Therapist Podcast is Sponsored by:

Berries: Say goodbye to the burden of mental health notes with automated note and treatment plan creation! www.heyberries.com/therapists

Alma: Alma is on a mission to simplify access to mental health care by focusing first and foremost on supporting clinicians www.helloalma.com/kym

Time zones, licensure rules, and figuring out whether the work you trained for is still the work you want to do, building an international therapy practice comes with challenges that don't show up in the highlight reel. In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I'm replaying one of our most popular conversations while I take a recording break to travel through Switzerland and Italy.

I sit down with Lucy Orton, a therapist and corporate coach based in Southeast Asia who sees clients across the UK and the US. She walks me through how she built a global practice around her family's life, how her advertising and marketing background opened an unexpected door into corporate coaching, and why she's shifting toward couples intensives instead of a packed weekly caseload.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• How Lucy built a global practice around her family's life across time zones and licensure differences.
• The unexpected door her advertising and marketing background opened into corporate coaching.
• What an executive roundtable actually is and why it still brings in repeat business years later.
• Why she's shifting toward couples intensives instead of a full caseload of individual sessions.
• The mindset shift that stopped her from undercharging as she moved from coaching into therapy.

Connect with Lucy:
Website - https://www.couplesawaken.com/ | https://www.lucyorton.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lucyortontherapy
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucyorton/

Doing couples work from the road?
Join me for a free Auralink Pro walkthrough on Thursday, October 29th at noon Eastern with David Dixon and Sarah Curry, PhD. Save your spot here: https://auralinkprofreewebinar.manus.space/

Are you ready to take the plunge and become a Traveling Therapist? Whether you want to be a full-time digital nomad or just want the flexibility to bring your practice with you while you travel a couple of times a year, the Portable Practice Method will give you the framework to be protected!
➡️ JOIN NOW: www.portablepracticemethod.com/

Connect with me:

• www.instagram.com/thetravelingtherapist_kym
• www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/
• www.thetravelingtherapist.com

The Traveling Therapist Podcast is Sponsored by:

Berries: Say goodbye to the burden of mental health notes with automated note and treatment plan creation! www.heyberries.com/therapists

Alma: Alma is on a mission to simplify access to mental health care by focusing first and foremost on supporting clinicians www.helloalma.com/kym

You can have the license, the laptop, and a full client list, and still stay exactly where you are, because learning to transform your money mindset is the piece most traveling therapists skip until it's absolutely unavoidable. This one's a replay of one of our most-requested episodes, and it earns that spot for a reason. In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Scarlett Stanhope, known as the Biz Hippie, to talk about why money, not licensure or tech setup, is usually the real reason people never book the flight.

We get into the core beliefs that quietly run the show long before you ever open a bank statement, the childhood money messaging most people never think to question, and the very uncomfortable topic of charging what you're actually worth. Transforming your money mindset starts here, and if you've been waiting for the money to feel more stable before you make a move, Scarlett is going to poke at that belief a little.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• Why "not enough-ness" shows up the same way whether you're broke or financially comfortable.
• The difference between the tangible and intangible sides of healing your relationship with money.
• What Scarlett's compost pile has to do with breaking a scarcity mindset.
• The real cost of undercharging, and why overcharging can backfire just as fast.
• How Scarlett's pricing "secret sauce" helps you find the edge of your comfort zone.

Connect with Scarlett Stanhope:
Website: https://thebizhippie.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebizhippie/
Book an Abundance Activation Session: https://thebizhippie.com/activate/ 

Doing couples work from the road?
Join me for a free Auralink Pro walkthrough on Thursday, October 29th at noon Eastern with David Dixon and Sarah Curry, PhD. Save your spot here: https://auralinkprofreewebinar.manus.space/

Are you ready to take the plunge and become a Traveling Therapist? Whether you want to be a full-time digital nomad or just want the flexibility to bring your practice with you while you travel a couple of times a year, the Portable Practice Method will give you the framework to be protected!
➡️ JOIN NOW: www.portablepracticemethod.com/

Connect with me:

• www.instagram.com/thetravelingtherapist_kym
• www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/
• www.thetravelingtherapist.com

The Traveling Therapist Podcast is Sponsored by:

Berries: Say goodbye to the burden of mental health notes with automated note and treatment plan creation! www.heyberries.com/therapists

Alma: Alma is on a mission to simplify access to mental health care by focusing first and foremost on supporting clinicians www.helloalma.com/kym

Most therapists can rattle off every diagnostic code without blinking, but ask about their break-even number and things get quiet. Those are exactly the financial blind spots we're unpacking in this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast. I sit down with Rob Freels, founder of FreeRivers CFO Advisory, who spent 25 years across banking, auditing, and 16 years as a CFO before turning his attention to healthcare and mental health practice owners.

Rob breaks down where money actually disappears before it ever hits your bank account, why those losses hit harder the bigger your practice gets, and the one number he says matters more than revenue or profit. If you've ever felt like your finances are a mystery you don't have time to solve, this conversation gives you a place to start.

PLEASE NOTE: In the episode, Rob mentions that contribution margin is revenue minus fixed costs, but he actually meant revenue minus variable costs.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• The invisible fees eating into your revenue before it ever hits your account.
• Why those percentages get more expensive the bigger your practice grows.
• The one financial metric Rob says matters more than revenue or cash flow.
• How to know when it's time to bring in more than a bookkeeper.
• A free calculator that shows you exactly where you stand.

Connect with Robert Freels:
Website: https://freeriverscfo.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robfreels/
Free Break-even Calculator: https://freeriverscfo.com/tolson 

Doing couples work from the road?
Join me for a free Auralink Pro walkthrough on Thursday, October 29th at noon Eastern with David Dixon and Sarah Curry, PhD. Save your spot here: https://auralinkprofreewebinar.manus.space/

Are you ready to take the plunge and become a Traveling Therapist? Whether you want to be a full-time digital nomad or just want the flexibility to bring your practice with you while you travel a couple of times a year, the Portable Practice Method will give you the framework to be protected!
➡️ JOIN NOW: www.portablepracticemethod.com/

Connect with me:

• www.instagram.com/thetravelingtherapist_kym
• www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/
• www.thetravelingtherapist.com

The Traveling Therapist Podcast is Sponsored by:

Berries: Say goodbye to the burden of mental health notes with automated note and treatment plan creation! www.heyberries.com/therapists

Alma: Alma is on a mission to simplify access to mental health care by focusing first and foremost on supporting clinicians www.helloalma.com/kym

Before you post that job listing, you need a plan to financially prepare for your next hire, and that's exactly what today's guest walks us through. Carla Titus is a CFO who works with therapy practices of all sizes, and she breaks down why so many owners jump into hiring before they've actually looked at the numbers.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, Carla and I dig into what it actually costs to bring on a new clinician, from the ramp-up period to tracking performance once they're on your team. If you've ever hired someone and then panicked three months later wondering where the money went, this one is for you.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• Why the ramp-up period costs more than most owners plan for.
• What cash runway actually means before you bring on a new hire.
• How to track a remote clinician's performance without living in the dashboard.
• What to do when a clinician isn't hitting their numbers.
• How to know when it's time to cut an underperforming vendor or team member.

Connect with Carla Titus:
Website: https://www.wealthworthwithin.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wealthworthwithin/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wealthworthwithin/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wealthworthwithin
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wealthandworthwithin
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ceo-financial-clarity-corner-podcast-money-strategy/id1818238749 

Doing couples work from the road?
Join me for a free Auralink Pro walkthrough on Thursday, October 29th at noon Eastern with David Dixon and Sarah Curry, PhD. Save your spot here: https://auralinkprofreewebinar.manus.space/

Are you ready to take the plunge and become a Traveling Therapist? Whether you want to be a full-time digital nomad or just want the flexibility to bring your practice with you while you travel a couple of times a year, the Portable Practice Method will give you the framework to be protected!
➡️ JOIN NOW: www.portablepracticemethod.com/

Connect with me:

• www.instagram.com/thetravelingtherapist_kym
• www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/
• www.thetravelingtherapist.com

The Traveling Therapist Podcast is Sponsored by:

Berries: Say goodbye to the burden of mental health notes with automated note and treatment plan creation! www.heyberries.com/therapists

Alma: Alma is on a mission to simplify access to mental health care by focusing first and foremost on supporting clinicians www.helloalma.com/kym