278 - Judith Herman - Activism is the Antidote to Despair

Release Date: 02/05/2025

Group Practice (R)evolution: Questions to Ask When Applying for a Job with Sthefany Alviar

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

How can we improve communication between practice owners and employees? Sthefany Alviar reveals insights from the contrast between her current role at Mirjam Quinn and Associates and a previous, less supportive private practice. She and Sarah explore issues such as financial transparency, the challenges of transitioning from salaried to contractual pay, and the importance of clear administrative support. Sthefany emphasizes the value of aligning personal values with those of the practice, noting how Miriam's openness about financials and future plans contributes to a positive workplace...

290 - Tamila Gresham, Part 2 - Engaging a Framework of Power, Belonging and Justice

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

As promised, here’s the fantastic part two of my conversation with Tamila Gresham. We delve into the foundational pieces of accountability: knowledge, nuance, relationship, and vulnerability. You know what to do if you haven’t met her yet: hit play on part one. Tamilia is co-founder of Harmonize, a consulting firm that helps organizations bridge the gap between values, vision, and impact. She’s a lifelong educator with formal education in law, sociology, and philosophy. Tamila centers justice and heart-work in her efforts to change organizations and the world. GUEST BIO Tamila...

289 - Tamila Gresham, Part 1 - Therapy is Political: Learning the Actions to Go With the Activation

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

Some advice for therapists and those in adjacent healing professions: This (gestures wildly at everything) is not the time to close ranks. We’re being called to proceed with less ego and more accountability. Lately, however, anger (much of it warranted) and impatience have turned accountability into more of a cudgel than the intended call-in. Tamila Gresham is here to reconnect us to core strategies that have always worked but may have gotten away from us in the current social climate (see: anger and impatience). Tamila is co-founder of Harmonize, a consulting firm that helps...

Group Practice (R)evolution: The Ideals of Therapy vs the Limitations of Capitalism with Jeff Levy

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

How can we learn from past experiences to improve future practices? You may not know this but LGBTQ-focused group practices are a fairly recent development in our field. Jeff Levy recounts his journey from co-founding Live Oak, in Chicago, to his current solo private practice with a focus on virtual therapy and consultations. He and Sarah discuss the evolution of group practices, market shifts post-COVID, and the challenges of maintaining a practice including capital investment, balancing client and staff needs, and transparency in financial operations. *** Group Practice (R)evolution is...

288 - David Allen, Part 2 - The Beautiful Process of Really Hearing What People Want

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

David Allen is quietly and thoroughly advancing the notion of masculinity into a new era. He’s a tattoo artist working with post-mastectomy clients in Chicago. David is also a father who, despite his childhood wounds, has devoted himself to raising emotionally intelligent kids. It’s a path informed by his work with cancer patients, his ancestral lineage, and his commitment to therapy. If you missed the first half of our conversation, go back one episode where you’ll learn about David’s artistry and quest for self-awareness. GUEST BIO David Allen is a Chicago-based tattoo artist...

287 - David Allen, Part 1 - A Tattoo Artist Holding Space for Healing and Renewal

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

Look for the helpers. It’s a simple axiom meant to comfort small children, a reminder to find supportive adults in times of distress. But good advice doesn’t stop being good just because we’ve aged out of the original target audience. Adults need helpers, too. David Allen is an absolute gem of a helper, an art director turned tattoo artist who works with post-mastectomy clients in Chicago. While breast cancer survivors aren’t the whole of his business, David gratefully acknowledges the indelible mark that these warriors have left on his personal life and professional outlook. GUEST BIO...

Group Practice (R)evolution: Sustainable Solutions for Staff Retention and Satisfaction with Jennifer Froemel

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

If you work inside a group practice, why do you stay? And if you lead a group practice, do you know why your employees stay? Or… why they don’t? Jennifer Fromel is a bilingual mental health clinician with over 30 years of experience across various clinical and supervisory settings, specializing in trauma, evidence-based interventions, and integrative therapy approaches. She is actively involved in professional networks, serving as a leader in counseling organizations, advisory boards, and community collaborations while advocating for accessible mental health care for diverse populations....

286 - Steve Duke, Part 2 - Reimagining the Future of Therapy and Human Connection Beyond AI

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

Ready to dive into artificial intelligence in the therapy space?! Steve Duke, founder of The Hemingway Group, is back for part two of our conversation. Steve helps us think more purposefully about how we can AI-proof the relational component of therapy while acknowledging that the tech may make other aspects of the job easier, like note-taking. GUEST BIO Steve Duke (he/him) is the founder of The Hemingway Group - a business working with mental health organisations to help them succeed clinically and commercially. He also writes an industry publication called The Hemingway Report, which is read...

285 - Steve Duke, Part 1 - The Dilemma of Venture Capital and Tech Platforms vs Quality of Care in the Therapy Field

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

How are y’all doing while the United States (specifically) plummets into political, social, and economic freefall? Therapists are freaking tf out right with good reason. We're at a tipping point in the evolution of our field, especially when it comes to the rapid ascendancy of venture capital, consolidation, and technology––those AI chatbots lurking and learning in the digital shadows. I sound the alarm to encourage resistance. Steve Duke is one of the bright minds I turn to for data-driven inspiration and motivation. He founded The Hemingway Group, a business working with mental...

Group Practice Revolution: Creating Emotional Safety, Belonging, and Buy-In With Your Staff with Mirjam Quinn

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

How do you support group practice employees to feel connected, engaged, and motivated? HINT: It might have something to do with building the capacity to receive and act on feedback. Mirjam Quinn (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of Mirjam Quinn and Associates, a group practice in Chicago that provides affirming therapy, testing, and teaching to people 3 - 104 in Chicago and virtually around the country. Their practice mission is breaking patterns to foster connection, compassion, and community. She loves her three kids, her husband, her dog, the two non-profits she...

More Episodes

In the words of my esteemed co-host, Anne Remy, “There’s a difference between an elder and a person who is older than you.” Judith Lewis Herman, MD, is wise––a psychiatrist, professor, researcher, author, and advocate who helped establish the diagnosis of PTSD back before many of us were born. In addition to her work with veterans and children, Judith fundamentally altered the discourse around women’s traumatic experiences and pioneered subsequent treatments for victims of abuse. How’s that for street-cred sagacity!?

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that this is Anne Remy’s final episode as co-host. Don’t worry, it’s all for good! You can find out more by tuning in. I couldn’t think of a more fitting interview than this to close out Anne’s incredible tenure. It’s been my pleasure and privilege to share this virtual space with her.

GUEST BIO

Judith Lewis Herman, MD, is a part-time senior lecturer in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. For 30 years until she retired, she was director of training at the Victims of Violence Program at the Cambridge Hospital in Cambridge, MA. She's the author of award-winning books, Father-Daughter Incest and Trauma And Recovery. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1984 and the 1996 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies like that's life goals. In 2007, she was named a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Her new book, Truth And Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice was published in March 2023.

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Redefining the Future of Psychotherapy: From Disruption to Innovation

Are you feeling the seismic shifts currently reshaping the therapy field? From AI to rising healthcare costs, our field is at a crossroads – but what if these disruptions weren't just challenges, but opportunities for transformation?

I'm excited to introduce "Redefining the Future of Psychotherapy" – a groundbreaking 12-week program where I've partnered with organizational consultant Marc Mathys to help therapists navigate and thrive in these changing times.

Together, we'll explore how cultural values and systemic forces are impacting mental health care. You'll learn to apply powerful frameworks like Spiral Dynamics to enhance your practice, transform challenges into opportunities, and develop practical strategies for both you and your clients.

Starting February 13th, 2025, we'll meet virtually every Thursday for live, interactive sessions. You'll earn a Level 1 Certification in Spiral Dynamics, and up to 24 CEUs are available.