How Vicarious Trauma Impacts our Work with Jenny Hughes, PhD | WP 161
Release Date: 11/25/2025
How Vicarious Trauma Impacts our Work with Jenny Hughes, PhD | WP 161
Wise Practice Podcast
As a therapist and group practice owner, I know firsthand how the work we do shapes us. The stories we hold, the crises we navigate, and even the simple act of showing up empathically day after day can impact our emotional and spiritual health. That ongoing impact is called vicarious trauma, and it plays a bigger role in our work—and our leadership—than we often acknowledge. In this episode, I’m joined by Jenny Hughes, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in trauma and PTSD and supports helpers and healers through these exact experiences. Jenny offers such a...
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How to Improve Self-Awareness in Leadership - Live Consulting with Anna Sasser-Christian, LCSW | WP 160
Wise Practice Podcast
Hey friends, it feels so good to be back on the mic! After months of prepping for the Wise Practice Summit and connecting with so many amazing practice owners in Greenville, I’m coming into this episode fired up and full of gratitude. If you’ve ever had one of those seasons where you thought, “This is just too much… maybe I should quit,” I’ve been there too. But let me tell you, God always shows up. The Summit was such a beautiful reminder that the work we do—growing our practices, leading our teams, and serving from a place of faith—truly matters. And when we keep showing up...
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Making Your Mission and Vision Matter - Live Consulting with Nathan Hansen, LPC | WP 159
Wise Practice Podcast
Hey friend, Whitney here. I’m fired up about today’s episode because we’re pulling back the curtain on how clear branding, mission, vision, and values can fuel real growth in your faith-based practice. I’m coaching my friend Nathan Hansen, LPC of Great Lakes Wellness Counseling, and we get super practical on turning values into hiring, culture, and clinical excellence, and how to rally your team around a shared purpose. We dive into: How to define and live out your mission, vision, and values Ways to build team culture and community, even with 1099s Practical ideas for branding and...
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Balancing Clinical Practice with Christian Conviction - Live Consulting with Shirlonda Shepard M.Ed, LPC, CPCS, CACII | WP 158
Wise Practice Podcast
This week’s episode of the Wise Practice Podcast is one I’m especially excited about because it’s a live consulting session with the amazing Shirlonda Shepard, owner of True North and Associates in Savannah, Georgia. Shirlonda came to the show with a heartfelt question: How can faith-based therapists integrate their Christian values into counseling while staying ethical and professional? I love conversations like this because they get to the core of what so many of us wrestle with—how to honor God in our work without overstepping our role as clinicians. In this episode, Shirlonda and I...
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How to Know When You're Ready to Go Out on Your Own - Live Consulting with Amanda Zuccaro, Licensed Professional Counselor | WP 157
Wise Practice Podcast
Have you ever felt that holy nudge - that mix of excitement and fear that says, “Maybe it’s time to go out on my own”? I remember that feeling so vividly. You’re standing on the edge of something new, your heart’s racing, and the “what ifs” start flooding in. What if I’m not ready? What if it fails? But also… what if this is exactly what God is calling me to do next? In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Amanda Zuccaro, a Licensed Professional Counselor who’s right in that in-between space - still working at her current practice but feeling called to step into her...
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Choosing the Right Structure for your Group Practice - Live Consulting with Brittany Osborne, MA, LPC | WP 156
Wise Practice Podcast
Should you hire employees or contractors? Or could a collective model be a better fit for your vision? In this episode, I sit down for a live consulting session with Brittany Osborne, MA, LPC, a therapist in Marietta, Georgia, who specializes in helping kids, teens, and adults navigate ADHD, anxiety, and OCD. After years of balancing motherhood and solo private practice, Brittany is ready to take the next step—building a team that offers comprehensive care for families. Together, we talk through the different ways to structure a group practice—comparing the benefits of 1099 contractors, W2...
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Should You Hire Family In Your Counseling Practice? Lessons for Faith-Based Owners - Podcast Takeover with Amy Dover
Wise Practice Podcast
Have you ever thought about hiring your spouse, your mom, or another family member in your counseling practice? It sounds wonderful… until you realize it can get complicated fast. In this takeover episode, my friend and colleague Amy Dover explores a question I know many faith-based practice owners have asked themselves: Should I hire a family member in my counseling practice? Amy shares her own story of working alongside her mom as a practice manager, highlighting both the blessings and the challenges that come with blending family and business. She offers practical steps, biblical wisdom,...
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10 Years In: The 5 Most Beneficial Shifts In My Private Practice - Podcast Takeover with Amy Dover | WP 154
Wise Practice Podcast
If you’ve ever wondered, “What’s the one move that would actually change my practice?” this episode is for you. I’m handing the mic to my friend and colleague, Amy Dover, LMFT—a wise, in-the-trenches group practice owner and consultant. In just a few minutes, Amy unpacks the five decisions that most transformed her practice over the past decade: hiring that first therapist, getting real about insurance panels, saying yes to consulting, moving from 1099 to W-2, and—most importantly—prioritizing spiritual rhythms that sustain it all. You’ll walk away with clarity, courage, and...
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Answering the Call: Pivoting to a Christian Counseling Practice - Podcast Takeover with Amy Dover | WP 153
Wise Practice Podcast
Hello friends, and welcome back to the Wise Practice Podcast! Today’s episode is extra special. My friend and colleague Amy Dover, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, group practice owner in Lower Alabama, and Wise Practice Consultant, is taking over the mic as part of her four-part takeover series. Amy has such a gift for sharing wisdom straight from her own journey as a practice owner, and today she’s talking about something that many of us wrestle with: the decision to pivot to an explicitly Christian private practice. 1:21 Turning 50 and Life Transitions 2:32 Alignment with Calling...
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Turnover & Trust: 5 Considerations for Group Practice Owners When Therapists Leave - Podcast Takeover with Amy Dover | WP 152
Wise Practice Podcast
Hello friends, and welcome back to the Wise Practice Podcast! This week kicks off something special—a four-part takeover with my friend, Amy Dover. Amy is a licensed marriage and family therapist, group practice owner in Lower Alabama, and a Wise Practice Consultant. She’s walked through the challenges of practice ownership and brings wisdom rooted in both experience and faith. In this first episode, Amy takes on a tough but common question: What do you do when multiple therapists leave your group practice in the same year? After losing nine therapists in 2024, Amy shares what she learned...
info_outlineAs a therapist and group practice owner, I know firsthand how the work we do shapes us. The stories we hold, the crises we navigate, and even the simple act of showing up empathically day after day can impact our emotional and spiritual health. That ongoing impact is called vicarious trauma, and it plays a bigger role in our work—and our leadership—than we often acknowledge.
In this episode, I’m joined by Jenny Hughes, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in trauma and PTSD and supports helpers and healers through these exact experiences. Jenny offers such a compassionate, grounded perspective on what vicarious trauma looks like, how it shows up in our bodies and businesses, and why it’s something we all encounter as clinicians. She also introduces the beautiful idea of vicarious resilience—the glimmers of hope and connection we receive from doing this work.
We also talk about how faith, community, and honest conversations can help us lead from a place of clarity instead of overwhelm. Whether you’re a solo practitioner or running a growing group practice, this conversation will give you language, tools, and encouragement to navigate the emotional weight of this work with more intention.
This conversation is full of insight, encouragement, and practical wisdom for anyone doing the sacred work of helping others heal.
07:13 Meet Jenny Hughes, PhD
09:40 What Vicarious Trauma Really Is
11:55 Real-Life Example: When Heavy Stories Stick With Us
14:10 Understanding Vicarious Resilience
16:14 Soft Transitions and Healthy Processing
18:40 How Our Humanity Shapes Our Leadership
21:54 What Group Practice Owners Need to Name Out Loud
23:43 The Trauma of Running a Practice
25:32 Building Support Systems for Leaders
27:26 Inside the Brave Trauma Therapist Collective
30:47 Giving Yourself Permission to Be Human
Jenny's Resources
Website
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
TikTok
YouTube
Free Vicarious Trauma Tracker
The BRAVE Trauma Therapist Collective
Links and Resources
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