287 - David Allen, Part 1 - A Tattoo Artist Holding Space for Healing and Renewal
Conversations With a Wounded Healer
Release Date: 05/07/2025
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...
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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....
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
info_outlineLook 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
David Allen is a Chicago-based tattoo artist known for his bespoke floral designs that transform mastectomy scars into powerful expressions of healing and renewal. With a deep respect for each client’s voice and story, David approaches tattooing as a collaborative process — one that centers agency, artistry, and emotional care. His work is rooted in compassion, intention, and connection.
Authentic Leaders Group
Are you a therapist stepping into leadership for the first time? Or maybe you've been in a leadership position for a while, but are bumping up against new struggles?
Our Authentic Leaders Group is here to help you become the authentic and wholehearted leader you aspire to be. And we believe this journey is best undertaken with the guidance of experienced mentors alongside fellow learners.
Join Sarah in this journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll enhance your leadership skills and forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field.
Join the waitlist now to be part of the next Authentic Leaders Group!
1:1 With Sarah
Wounded healers need supervision too. Sarah is passionate about fostering therapists’ personal and professional growth through mentoring, supervision, and consultation.
Mentoring options are available for therapists who are looking for a transformative supervision experience and practice owners who are looking for customized support.
Supervision not only plays a crucial role in the professional development and ethical practice of therapists, but also provides parallel process for our own healing.
In consultations, Sarah helps practice owners align their business with their lifestyle goals. Together, we'll look at both the concrete business practices as well as the emotional stuff that complicates business ownership.
Reach out to find out more and book!
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