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#57 Help! My Client Says ‘Therapy Isn’t Working’—Now What?

Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists

Release Date: 02/26/2025

#77 AI, Ethics, and Therapy: What Every Clinician Needs to Know Right Now show art #77 AI, Ethics, and Therapy: What Every Clinician Needs to Know Right Now

Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists

Is your therapy practice future-ready… or are your AI tools quietly writing your client notes — and maybe rewriting your ethics policy, too? If you’re a therapist trying to make sense of what the heck is going on with AI in our field right now, this episode is for you. Whether you’re using AI daily, avoiding it like a bad EHR platform, or somewhere in between, you need to hear this conversation. In today’s episode of Love, Happiness & Success for Therapists, I sit down with cyberpsychologist and licensed counselor Dr. Rachel Wood to talk about — and why we, as ethical...

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#54 Subpoenaed as a Therapist: How to Stay Legal, Ethical, and Sane show art #54 Subpoenaed as a Therapist: How to Stay Legal, Ethical, and Sane

Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists

This one is SO important... we're doing it again. After originally posting this episode earlier in the year, I've had so many messages from therapist colleagues about how helpful and important this info was, I wanted to put it back at the top. Additionally, I have created a free cheat sheet with the changes that I made to my own disclosure statement after recording this interview (because I too, learned a lot) and I'm happy to share this with you. DM me on Linkedin or just shoot me an email (). xo, Lisa = There's something none of us want to deal with, but absolutely need to be prepared...

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#76 - Why Coaches Can Charge More Than Therapists show art #76 - Why Coaches Can Charge More Than Therapists

Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists

Ever wondered how a coach with zero credentials is charging triple what you make—and people are lining up to pay them?! It's enough to make any seasoned, licensed, ethics-loving therapist want to throw their DSM across the room. In this juicy episode of Love, Happiness & Success for Therapists, I’m pulling back the curtain on why so often leaves therapist rates in the dust.  Coaches are NOT more skilled or more capable of change work. They’re just playing an entirely different game. A game that rewards confidence, clarity, marketing savvy, and outcomes over credentials and...

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#75 - “Do You Take Insurance?” How to Talk to Clients About Self Pay Therapy show art #75 - “Do You Take Insurance?” How to Talk to Clients About Self Pay Therapy

Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists

Ever had a dream client vanish the second you said, “I don’t take insurance”?  In this episode of Love, Happiness, and Success for Therapists, I’m breaking down one of the most frustrating, deflating, and pivotal conversations we have in private practice: and self-pay therapy (without spiraling, apologizing, or selling yourself short). I walk you through exactly how to handle that record-scratch moment with clarity, confidence, and integrity—so you can stop losing ideal clients and start owning your value. We’ll explore why the insurance model was never built for growth work,...

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#74 - Can Therapists Give Advice? How to Empower Clients While Staying Ethical show art #74 - Can Therapists Give Advice? How to Empower Clients While Staying Ethical

Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists

Ever had a client look at you, desperate for help, and ask, “What should I do?” Today, I’m pulling back the curtain on a dilemma that I hear from therapists all the time: “My clients are stuck, they need direction, and they’re asking me for advice. But I’m supposed to stay neutral, right?”  On one hand, we want to help, but on the other, we’ve been trained to stay neutral and let the client find their own answers. So What’s the right move when your client is stuck and clearly craving direction? In this episode of Love, Happiness and Success For Therapists, we're diving...

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#73 Fake Therapy: How 7 Cups Stole Real Therapists’ Identities to Scam Clients show art #73 Fake Therapy: How 7 Cups Stole Real Therapists’ Identities to Scam Clients

Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists

Therapists, what if I told you your photo, credentials, and carefully crafted bio might be sitting on a website you never signed up for—used to funnel therapy-seeking clients into ?  I know you might be thinking, “That could never happen to me…” But it’s a rapidly increasing issue that’s affecting therapists across the country right this second. And it could happen to you too. In this episode of Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists, I’m digging into the disturbing world of fake therapy platforms, profile scraping, and the deceptive tactics being used by some online...

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#72 - Ethical Dilemmas: When Therapy Clients Refer Their Friends! show art #72 - Ethical Dilemmas: When Therapy Clients Refer Their Friends!

Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists

Have you ever gotten that really sweet message from a client saying, “Hey, I told my friend about you—they’re reaching out!” and felt… conflicted? On the one hand, it’s a huge compliment. On the other? It throws you right into the middle of an ethical tightrope walk. , it can feel like walking a fine line between appreciation and professional chaos. In this episode of Love, Happiness, and Success for Therapists, I’ll share a behind-the-scenes story from my own practice where a client referred a friend—who happened to be their business partner—and how things unraveled when...

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#50 How Internal Family Systems (IFS) Can Revolutionize Your Therapy Practice with Dr. Dick Schwartz show art #50 How Internal Family Systems (IFS) Can Revolutionize Your Therapy Practice with Dr. Dick Schwartz

Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists

  Ever felt like you’re missing that one tool in your therapy toolkit that could help your clients truly heal and reconnect with their best selves? Well, in today’s episode of Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists, I’m chatting with Dr. Dick Schwartz, founder of the , about the power of IFS and how it can be a game-changer for your clients. IFS is more than just a therapy model—it's a transformative approach that helps clients access their own core Self, heal their internal wounds, and lead their lives with compassion, confidence, and calm. It's about connecting with the...

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#71: Helping Therapy Clients (and YOU!) Find Career Clarity and Purpose ft. Suzy Welch show art #71: Helping Therapy Clients (and YOU!) Find Career Clarity and Purpose ft. Suzy Welch

Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists

You’re a therapist, not a career strategist, right? That’s what I told myself for years—until the zillionth client sat across from me, looked me dead in the eye, and asked, “What should I do with my life?” Cue the record scratch. Let’s be real: we’re trained to hold emotional space, diagnose, treat, and heal — but when it comes to career development and professional identity? Most of us are flying blind. In this episode, I sit down with the brilliant Suzy Welch — NYU professor, bestselling author, and creator of the Becoming You methodology — to talk about how therapists...

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#40: Dr. Dan Siegel's New Approach to Attachment Therapy show art #40: Dr. Dan Siegel's New Approach to Attachment Therapy

Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists

Ever wonder how to truly help your clients build more secure attachment styles? This episode of Love, Happiness, and Success for Therapists is for you! I’m sitting down with the brilliant Dr. Daniel Siegel—one of the world’s leading experts in attachment science and childhood development. Together, we’re unpacking the latest research and ideas you can take straight into your practice. Dr. Siegel’s approach goes beyond the basics of attachment theory, blending personality, temperament, and attachment into a powerful framework that creates truly personalized client experiences. This...

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More Episodes

Ever had that gut-wrenching moment when a client looks you in the eye and says, "Therapy isn’t working for me"? It's like a punch to the professional solar plexus, right? I get it. When therapy stalls, it can trigger our self-doubt and imposter syndrome. But here’s the truth: this isn’t a failure—it’s a turning point. 

In this episode of Love, Happiness, and Success for Therapists, I dive deep into navigating these challenging conversations and turning them into opportunities for growth—for both you and your client. 

Together, we’ll explore why clients sometimes feel stuck, how to assess what’s really going on, and most importantly—what you can do to re-engage them in the process. Because let’s be real: simply throwing another CBT worksheet at them and hoping for the best isn’t the answer (been there, done that).

Timestamps:

  • 00:00 – The Dreaded Client Confession: "I don't think this is working."

  • 01:43 – Reflecting on your therapeutic approach.

  • 07:42 – The Eclectic Conundrum: When having too many tools leads to confusion.

  • 12:00 – Roadmaps Over Randomness: Establishing a clear theory of change.

  • 15:14 – Coaching vs. Therapy: Bridging the gap for non-clinical clients.

  • 21:57 – Action Steps: Practical tips to enhance your practice.

  • 29:58 – Resources for thriving as a therapist

Therapy is an evolving process—for our clients and for us. If a client isn’t making progress, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad therapist. It means there’s an opportunity to fine-tune your approach, clarify expectations, or expand your skill set.

In many cases, therapists are using a therapy model for clients who would actually benefit from coaching psychology. If someone is struggling with general life satisfaction, career transitions, or goal-setting—but doesn’t meet diagnostic criteria for a mental health condition—traditional therapy might not be what they need. Instead, a structured coaching approach can help them develop clarity, motivation, and action-oriented change.

Coaching psychology is a real, evidence-based approach that therapists can (and should) be trained in. If you’re curious about strengthening your ability to work with coaching clients—or just want to feel more confident when a client is struggling—check out my Therapist’s Guide to Coaching Masterclass. It’s free, packed with insights, and a game-changer for therapists in private practice.

Don't let these moments shake your confidence. Instead, let's use them as catalysts for professional evolution. If this episode was helpful for you, check out my other podcast episodes for therapists and connect with me on LinkedIn! I’m always sharing tidbits of info over there. I’d love to hear from you. 

Xoxo

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

www.growingself.com

P.S. Pass this episode along to a colleague or friend who could use this advice today. Let’s help each other grow.