278 - Judith Herman - Activism is the Antidote to Despair

Release Date: 02/05/2025

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 Revolution: 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...

284 - Heather Lovegood, Part 2 - Tap Into the Healing Wisdom of Body and Spirit

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

“I thought I knew what this conversation might be like. I had all my worries, concerns, and anticipations of what might be brought up––and it didn't go that way,” laughs Heather Lovegood. Intrigued?? Check out part one, and then come back here for the conclusion of my conversation with Heather, a holistic bodyworker and lymphatic drainage expert who provides healing-centered, trauma-trained services to clients in Chicago. We’re exploring the interconnectedness of everything, the subtle energy of Indigenous wisdom, and the power we claim (or not) in spaces where healing...

283 - Heather Lovegood, Part 1 - Surrender in the Face of Fear of the Unknown

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

I’m a firm believer in the connectedness of everything. Healing happens at the intersection of spirituality, science, and Indigenous wisdom. Sure, each principle can (and has!) exist in its own sphere, but the true magic is in the mix. Heather Lovegood agrees. She’s a holistic bodyworker and lymphatic drainage expert who provides healing-centered, trauma-trained services to clients in Chicago. She helps people build the capacity to identify and release buried, inflammatory emotions–those squishy, sticky, and often devastating sensations that our bodies hold onto in the wake of complex...

Group Practice Revolution: Sparking Change with Magic and Mindset

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

How do we bridge the divide between practice owners and employees in the therapy field to create better healing environments for everyone? Discover how innovation, open communication, and shared values can transform group practices, resulting in a culture of connection. Group Practice Revolution is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future! Learn more about how you can join the *** Group Practice (R)evolution platform is in beta testing mode! We're just getting everything...

282 - Cara Chae, Part 2 - How to Balance Compassion With Boundaries in Group Practice

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

Leadership is lonely, y'all. It's also hella rewarding. Cara Chae, LCPC, knows this duality all too well. She's working on finding (and holding!) the balance between the two––an evolutionary pursuit that resonates with many. GUEST BIO Cara Chae, LCPC, (she/her) is a psychotherapist working in a group private practice in Chicago. Her professional interests include working with issues related to Attachment (parenting, relationships, childhood wounds), and, more recently, Neuroplastic Symptoms. Cara’s second full time job is parenting her two elementary school aged children while...

281 - Cara Chae, Part 1 - Facing Doubts on the Road to Authentic Leadership

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

Cue the klieg lights and gift bags because THIS episode marks the seventh anniversary of Conversations With A Wounded Healer! Major thanks to everyone from the OG fans to the newbies. I couldn’t do it without you, which is the perfect segue to today’s episode. Cara Chae, LCPC, is a psychotherapist at Inner Voice Psychotherapy, a group private practice in Chicago. She focuses on issues related to attachment (parenting, relationships, childhood wounds) and, more recently, neuroplastic symptoms. Cara also spent eight months as a member of my Authentic Leaders Group. I thought it might be...

280 - Ted Rau, Part 2 - Snap Out of Cynicism and Ignite a Glimmer of Hope!

Conversations With a Wounded Healer

If you missed Part One of my conversation with sociocracy expert Ted Rau, PhD., hit play on that episode now. You won’t be disappointed, nor will you want to miss our introduction to sociocracy, the decentralized way for organizations, workplaces, and communities to make decisions. In Part Two, Ted and I expand on how sociocracy might work in the group practice environment and how the fundamental issues of trust, personal power, and organizational accountability inform its success. GUEST BIO Ted Rau is an advocate, trainer, and consultant for self-governance with a focus on...

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.