A late autism diagnosis can reframe everything you thought you knew about why your work, your relationships, and even your own field have felt harder than they should. For Marina Livis, that reframe arrived after years of being told she was too literal, too this, too that, with no one stopping to ask why.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Marina to talk about what came after she was finally diagnosed, the licensing hurdles she refused to let stop her, and how all of it shaped the niche she serves now. We also get into the insurance mess so many traveling therapists are sorting through right now, and why she is rethinking how she wants to run her practice.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• The long-distance relationship that quietly kicked off her traveling therapist journey.
• What being called "too literal" actually looked like on the job.
• The evaluation that was supposed to help her and ended up doing the opposite.
• Signs of autism in women that often slip right under the radar.
• Why she is stepping back from insurance platforms and panels.

Connect with Marina Livis:
Website: https://www.marinawellness.com
Book a consultation button on her site (routes through her EHR)

Kym's Resources:
Bill Like a Boss: https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/Bill-Like-A-Boss
100 Side Hustles for Therapists: https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/opt-in-100-side-hustles
Thera AI Hub: https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/AI-Tools-for-Therapists
Coaching with Kym: https://calendly.com/kymtolson/30min
The Traveling Therapist Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling

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

If you have ever looked at your bank account and wondered where all your money actually went, the right tax strategies might be exactly what you have been missing. Most of us started a private practice because we love the work, not because we wanted to become experts in cash flow, pricing, and taxes. So it makes sense that this is the stuff that trips us up.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Emily Bowie, a CPA and cash flow strategist with Thorne Advisors, to talk about why so many therapists end up profitable but broke. Emily has a real gift for making the money side feel doable instead of overwhelming, and she shares the kind of tax strategies that can genuinely change what you take home. If you have ever felt a little unsure about your own numbers, this one is worth a listen.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• What "profitable but broke" really means and why it happens to so many practice owners.
• The simple pricing check that shows you your true profit per session.
• When it actually makes sense to elect S corp status, and the net income number to watch for.
• Why looking at your P&L next to your balance sheet tells the real story about your money.
• The tax strategies that only open up once you become an S corp, like the accountable plan.

Connect with Emily Bowie:
Website: https://www.thorneadvisors.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thorneadvisors/
Free Resource (5 Cash Leaks & 5 Missed Tax Deductions): https://www.thorneadvisors.com/cashleaks

Kym's Resources:
Bill Like a Boss: https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/Bill-Like-A-Boss
100 Side Hustles for Therapists: https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/opt-in-100-side-hustles
Thera AI Hub: https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/AI-Tools-for-Therapists
Coaching with Kym: https://calendly.com/kymtolson/30min
The Traveling Therapist Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling

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

If you're pre-licensed, you've probably been told that traveling while getting licensure hours is something you can't do. Stay put, finish your hours, then go live the life you actually want. Willow Renée decided she wasn't willing to do it that way.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Willow to talk about what it really takes to keep traveling while getting licensure hours before you're fully licensed. She's hit some real roadblocks along the way, and she's refreshingly honest about all of it. If you've ever felt like you have to wait for permission to start building the life you want, Willow's story is a good reminder that you don't.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• How falling in love with the Hakomi method in Mallorca set this whole path in motion.
• Why a verbal agreement with no contract left her scrambling to find a new supervisor.
• The two pathways she found for collecting licensure hours while living outside California.
• The Facebook group message that turned a rough travel day completely around.
• Her honest take on what she does to fund her travels and trainings right now.

Connect with Willow Renée:
Website: https://willowreneetherapy.com
Email: [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:
Facebook post with list of supervisors who support traveling associates: https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/permalink/2005318196992541
The Traveling Therapist Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling
100 Side Hustles for Therapists (free opt-in): https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/opt-in-100-side-hustles

Kym's Resources:
Thera AI Hub: https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/AI-Tools-for-Therapists
Bill Like a Boss (for supervisory billing education): https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/internsprivatepractice
Coaching with Kym (30-min): https://calendly.com/kymtolson/30min
Coaching with Kym (60-min): https://calendly.com/kymtolson/60min

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 believe they need their full license, years behind them, and a perfect plan before they can build a business around something like sailing wellness retreats. Cheryl Greathouse is proof that the timeline can look completely different.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Cheryl, a counselor and newly minted boat captain who put her practice on hold for four and a half years, sailed across the Pacific, and came home to start over as a pre-licensed intern while leading women's wellness retreats on a yacht in Greece. We get into how she built a life and a model that fits her instead of the other way around, and why being pre-licensed has not slowed her down one bit.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• Why Cheryl put her therapy practice on hold and went sailing at 50.
• How she went from Army deckhand and powerboats to skippering her own boat.
• What a women's wellness retreat on a 48-foot yacht actually looks like day to day.
• How she handles her caseload and clients when she leaves for a month.
• Why she does not believe you have to wait for your license to do this work internationally.

Connect with Cheryl Greathouse:
Website: https://www.wayfinderwisdom.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayfinderwisdom/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylsailsaway/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.l.greathouse/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-greathouse-8795847/

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

Work exchange is one of those ideas that sounds great in theory but feels impossible once you add kids, a therapy caseload, and two suitcases into the equation. Shannel Busuioc figured out how to make it work anyway.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Shannel, a Marriage and Family Therapist who left San Francisco in 2023 with her husband and two young kids to build a remote life abroad. She has spent the past three years moving her family through farms in Oregon, coastal towns in Mexico, forest schools in Portugal, and now the mountains of San Miguel de Allende. Work exchange has been one of the tools that made it sustainable, and she breaks down exactly how she approached it with a family in tow.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• How Shannel and her husband planned their first year of family travel.
• What work exchange actually looks like with young kids.
• How Workaway works, what the membership costs, and the range of exchanges available around the world.
• How Shannel sets up a private practice workspace in each new location.
• Why she sees travel as a therapeutic tool, and the "family internship" philosophy behind how they choose destinations.

Connect with Shannel Busuioc:
https://www.therapywithshannel.com
https://www.travelthroughtrauma.org
https://www.gounpacked.substack.com

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

Building multiple income streams as a traveling therapist isn't just a financial strategy; it's how some clinicians make the whole lifestyle actually work. In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Lisa Bodenstein, a therapist, coach, and clinical supervisor who has been doing this since 2012, long before online therapy was even a thing. Based in Italy, originally from South Africa, trained in the UK, she has figured out how to keep practicing across borders while building a life that genuinely fits her.

Lisa shares how she navigated international licensing across three countries, why having multiple income streams took the financial pressure off her client work, and what it looks like to build offerings that come from real lived experience. From a supervision community to an ADHD book in progress to a creative retreat space in rural Italy, she's a great example of what's possible when you stop waiting for permission to do things differently.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• How Lisa has practiced across South Africa, the UK, and Italy since 2012, and what she learned about navigating licensing along the way.
• Why building multiple income streams gives traveling therapists more flexibility and less pressure around client work.
• Her clinical specialty in womb twin survivors, and how an ultra-specific niche can attract clients without heavy marketing.
• The Brew and Do Supervision Crew, her community for therapists to get accountable and get things done together.
• Her book in progress, You, Me, and This Thing Called ADHD, and how her own ADHD diagnosis shapes how she works and travels.
• Using TrustedHouseSitters as a low-cost way to explore new destinations while keeping a home base.

Connect with Lisa Bodenstein:
https://www.lisabodenstein.online/
https://www.skool.com/brew-and-do-supervision-crew-9236/about
https://forbodymindandsoul.com/
https://wombtwinsurvivor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/forbodymindandsoul/
BnB: https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/sonic-alchemy.it.html?utm_source=copilot.com
Recording studio: https://sonicalchemy.it https://www.lisabodenstein.online/

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

Working inside a prison as a therapist is not something most clinicians ever picture for themselves. But for Ana Godoy, it turned out to be one of the most humbling, eye-opening experiences of her career.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Ana, a bilingual social worker and licensed clinician based in Southern California, to talk about what led her to take a contract role inside a California state prison, what the work actually looked like day to day, and how that leap eventually opened doors she never expected. If you've ever thought about doing something completely outside your clinical comfort zone, this one is for you.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• What drew Ana to correctional mental health work after 25 years in schools and family services.
• What it was actually like walking into a prison and running groups with incarcerated individuals.
• How contract recruiting works for mental health clinicians in California, and what to expect with pay and benefits.
• The telehealth options now available inside correctional settings, and why some positions don't require you to be on-site.
• How Ana is now channeling her experience into independent facilitation and consulting for families navigating the California Regional Center system.

Connect with Ana Godoy:
Website https://mifortaleza.us/
Website https://allthingslatina.com/

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

Starting over in a new country is something most therapists never picture for themselves. But for Meashline Komara, LCSW, it wasn't just a leap of faith. It was a four-year decision rooted in love, values, and a lot of honest conversations about fear.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Meashline to talk about how she went from practicing in California to running her online private practice from Guinea, West Africa. She shares what the planning process actually looked like, how she navigated resistance in her own life, and what it's taken to build a life that works on every level.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• How Meashline identified her non-negotiables before relocating and why that mattered.
• The role resistance played in her own decision to move, and how she worked through it.
• The tools she uses to manage time zones and keep her practice running smoothly.
• What living in Guinea is actually like, including the infrastructure realities no one talks about.
• How her workbook Navigating Resistance helps clients identify what's really blocking change.

Connect with Meashline Komara:
Website https://www.envisiontherapy.net/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/envisiontherapypractice
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/envisiontherapypractice/
Navigating Resistance: Understanding The Relationship Between Resistance And Change
https://www.amazon.com/Navigating-Resistance-Understanding-Relationship-Between/dp/B0GCTSRD61

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

Burnout doesn't always look like falling apart. For a lot of therapists, it looks like keeping up, staying on top of it, and pushing through until there's nothing left. In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Trisha Wolfe, a trauma therapist, researcher, and educator who spent years studying burnout in therapists while living it herself.

Trisha shares what finally shifted for her, and it wasn't adding more wellness habits to her list. It was learning to observe herself and understanding why the survival strategies that made her a great therapist were also the ones keeping her stuck. And she did all of this while building a life in Europe with one suitcase and no return ticket.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• Why therapists are especially vulnerable to burnout and what's actually driving it.
• The difference between managing burnout and getting to the root of it.
• How somatic therapy and self-observation helped Trisha recover and eventually make the leap to full-time travel.
• The Primal Trust program and why it worked when other approaches didn't.
• Navigating European visas, taxes, and schedules as a traveling therapist.
• What it looks like to build a work schedule around your nervous system, not a nine-to-five default.

Connect with Trisha:
Linktree https://linktr.ee/thetrishawolfe
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thetrishawolfe/
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@thetrishawolfe

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

Becoming a travel agent sounds appealing, especially when you're burned out and looking for something that actually fits your life. But most people don't know what it really involves, how much it costs to get started, what you can realistically earn, or whether you can do it alongside everything else you're already managing.

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast, I sit down with Lindsay Dollinger, travel agency owner and host of the Passports, Profits, and Pixie Dust podcast, to get into all of it. Lindsay started as a travel agent in 2019 while still teaching high school Spanish full-time, and she now runs her own agency with agents working under her. She breaks down exactly what the path looks like, what it costs, and why it might be more doable than you think.

In This Episode, We Explore…

• How becoming a travel agent works and what the difference is between an agent and an agency owner.
• Why you can realistically do this part-time without monthly minimums or sales quotas.
• What startup costs actually look like and how little you need to get going.
• The travel agent perks, FAM trips, and commission structures worth knowing about.
• Why travel insurance is the one thing Lindsay says every traveler needs to stop skipping.

Connect with Lindsay:
Website www.lindsaydollinger.com
Facebook www.facebook.com/lindsdollinger
Instagram www.instagram.com/lindsaydollinger

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