Bonus: What to do when... you are asked a personal question by a client

S5E6: How to Find Your Therapy Niche with Josephine Hughes Do therapists really need a niche, or is this simply another piece of marketing advice that makes private practice feel more complicated than it already is? In this episode, Dr Natalie Stott speaks with counsellor and Good Enough Counsellors podcast host Josephine Hughes about finding the clients you genuinely want to work with. They explore why being trained to work with a wide range of people can make narrowing your focus feel uncomfortable, particularly when you are worried about finding enough clients. Josephine explains that a niche does not have to box you in. It gives potential clients, colleagues, search engines and AI a clearer signal about the work you offer. A client may never search for “single-incident trauma”, but they might search for help after a road accident or because they panic every time they get behind the wheel. They also discuss what happens when you are highly skilled in an area you no longer enjoy, whether you need to be an expert before choosing a specialism and why your niche can change as your practice develops. Josephine shares a practical exercise for identifying the common thread running through the clients you most enjoy working with. If the instruction to “find your niche” has left you staring blankly at your website biography, this is a useful place to begin. KEY TAKEAWAYS A niche helps clients recognise that your work is relevant to them. Clients often search using situations and everyday experiences rather than therapy terminology. Different presentations may share an underlying emotional theme or “root”. Choosing a niche does not prevent you from accepting other suitable referrals. You can test your wording, notice who responds and adapt your focus over time. You do not need to become an expert before beginning to develop a specialism. Reviewing three clients you worked particularly well with can reveal useful patterns. The work you are good at is not necessarily the work you want to build your practice around.

S5E5: Practical AI for Therapists: Green, Amber and Red Uses How can therapists make practical use of AI without handing over sensitive information, clinical judgement or half the contents of their inbox? In this solo episode, Dr Natalie Stott explores how AI has moved beyond simple chatbot prompts. Today’s tools can listen, create, research and act on your behalf. That brings useful opportunities for clinical work and private practice. It also introduces risks that cannot be solved by removing a client’s name and hoping for the best. Natalie introduces a green, amber and red framework for assessing AI use. She also explains the differences between consumer chatbots, clinical scribes, agents and AI builders. Practical examples include creating accessible therapy worksheets, rehearsing psychoeducation through voice mode, preparing for appraisal, auditing a private-practice website and using AI as a research or marketing assistant. The episode also considers AI scribes, agent permissions and why human review remains essential. Resources mentioned: Airnote: AI Scribe for therapists ICO Guidance on AI AI SEO AUDIT-to use with agents Free AI health Check

S5E4: How Therapists can start and grow a business | Dr Jo Carlile from PEAR What happens when a therapist has a business idea but no idea how to build it?

CONTENT NOTE This episode discusses sexual abuse, including childhood sexual abuse, trauma memory, shame and the effects of abuse on sex and relationships. Please listen in a way that prioritises care of yourself EPISODE SUMMARY How do you name possible sexual abuse without turning therapy into another experience in which something is being done to the client? In this episode, Dr Natalie Stott speaks with counselling psychologist and EMDR trained Dr Kelly Savery about working with sexual abuse and sexual trauma. They explore the language of victimhood and survival, the care required around first disclosures and what to do when a client has not named what happened. Kelly offers ways to raise concerns tentatively while leaving control with the client. The conversation also explores fragmented trauma memory. Do clients need a clear, chronological account before therapy can help? Kelly explains why therapists can work with present-day shame, disgust and bodily responses without trying to excavate a complete narrative. The episode closes with the impact of this work on clinicians. Kelly discusses supervision, peer connection, caseload management and her approach to staying present without visualising traumatic material. Timestamps 6:24 — Language: victim vs. survivor 15:49 — Fragmented memories & historical disclosures 43:48 — Hope & recovery

S5E2 What Community Psychology can teach every therapist | Dr Ron Dodzro How much of what brings someone to therapy can really be understood by looking at the individual alone? In this episode, Dr Natalie Stott is joined by clinical psychologist Dr Ron Dodzro, also known as The Accessible Psychologist on social media, to explore community psychology and what changes when therapists widen the lens beyond the person sitting in front of them. Drawing on his work in prisons and with young people affected by community violence, Ron discusses what it means to formulate the systems around a person, particularly when those systems may be contributing to their distress. He shares how his work has extended beyond individual therapy to include parents, teachers, prison officers and wider organisations. Natalie and Ron also explore power and trust in therapy, including a striking example where Ron’s attempt to protect a young man’s confidentiality inadvertently made him feel less safe. They discuss race and therapist identity, what our ideas about “professionalism” might communicate to different clients, and why sharing a demographic with someone doesn’t necessarily mean they will experience you as the right therapist for them. An episode about looking beyond the individual and becoming more curious about what sits around the therapy room as well as what happens inside it. Guest Information: Dr Ron Dodzro is a clinical psychologist whose work spans trauma, community psychology and community violence. He has worked within the prison system and now works predominantly in community, charity and private settings, including with children and young people affected by community violence. He is also co-founder of Psychologists the Streets Deserve (PTSD) providing psychological therapy, training and consultancy around trauma, PTSD and community violence. Ron shares his work online as The Accessible Psychologist Find Ron: Instagram: The Accessible Psychologist Organisation/Website: Psychologists the Streets Deserve (PTSD)