Whitney & James Owens | Using The Enneagram In Your Practice | TPOT 191
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Release Date: 08/16/2021
Dr. Marie Fang | What’s Really Burning You Out in Private Practice? | TPOT 389
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Ever find yourself staring at the ceiling at 8 PM wondering, “Was that the right intervention?” Or maybe you’re drowning in admin work, questioning if private practice is really the freedom-filled dream everyone said it would be? In this episode, Gordon sits down with Marie from Private Practice Skills—a therapist, creator, and all-around wise human who gets the real behind-the-scenes of therapy life. We’re diving into the kind of conversations we need to be having: therapist burnout (the sneaky kind), invisible work hours, how outsourcing might save your sanity, and why you don’t...
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Gary Katz | Build a Group Practice on Connection, Not Chaos | TPOT 388
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
🎧 Ready to Grow Your Practice Without Losing Your Soul? This Episode’s for You. In this episode, Gordon sits down with Gary Katz—psychotherapist, group practice owner, and intimacy expert—who’s scaling his business across state lines without sacrificing connection, clinical quality, or his sanity. Gary opens up about what it really takes to grow a group practice that feels good, not just on paper, but in your body, your calendar, and your team culture. From building tight-knit pods of therapists to letting go of perfection and people-pleasing, this conversation is packed with honest...
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Edy Nathan | Supporting Clients Through Complex Grief in Private Practice | TPOT 387
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Let’s talk about grief. (I know—what a fun little opener, right?) But hang in there, because Edy Nathan doesn’t talk about grief the way most people do. There’s no clinical detachment or textbook jargon here. Edy speaks from the kind of deep, personal knowing that only comes from living it. She lost her partner at 27—a heartbreak that didn’t just shatter her world, but reshaped it completely. Instead of stuffing it down or soldiering through, Edy got curious. She studied grief, sat with it, wrote about it, and eventually made it her life’s work. Today, she helps others see grief...
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Kerry Thomas | Mood, Food, and Medicine in Private Practice | TPOT 386
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
What if your private practice could be a place where people stop trying to fix themselves—and start actually feeling what’s going on inside? In this powerful episode, Kerry Thomas pulls back the curtain on her 25-year journey in mental health, sharing how a personal wake-up call challenged everything she thought she knew about therapy, medication, and what it really means to heal. We talk about the connection between nutrition and mood, why numbing emotions isn’t the answer, and how private practice therapists can stop pathologizing normal human experiences. This one’s...
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Julie Herres | Private Practice Tax Changes Ahead | TPOT 385
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Let’s be honest: when someone says “Let’s talk tax law,” most of us want to fake a Wi-Fi outage and run for cover. But when Julie Herres joins The Practice of Therapy Podcast, you actually want to lean in. Somehow, she manages to make the ever-shifting sands of tax policy sound (dare we say it?) friendly — like a conversation over coffee with a really smart friend who also color-codes her spreadsheets. So, what’s happening with taxes in 2025? Buckle up, practice owners, because there’s a whole lot of “maybe” in the air. But Julie’s here to help us wade through the...
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Dori Lewis | Should you Consider Integrating Psychedelics into Trauma Work in Private Practice? | TPOT 384
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
What if the path to healing trauma isn’t just through talk therapy, but through carefully guided psychedelic experiences? In this episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, I sit down with Dori, an experienced therapist and psychedelic facilitator, who shares her deeply informed perspective on the nuanced, responsible, and transformational use of medicines like ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin mushrooms. Dori doesn’t just follow trends—she’s been on the frontlines, participating in research, working underground before legalization, and now helping clients access inner healing...
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Tamar Blue | Creating a Safer Space for Peer Support and Digital Therapy | TPOT 383
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Are you ready to discover a powerful new way to support your clients—and yourself? In this episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, Gordon sits down with Tamar Blue, founder of , a revolutionary platform that empowers therapists, coaches, and mental health advocates to create secure, community-driven support groups online. Whether you're a provider looking to scale your services or someone seeking a safe space to heal and connect, this conversation is packed with insight, innovation, and heart. Don’t miss this inspiring story of how one woman turned a passion for peer support into a...
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Steve Bisson | Let the Work Find You: Niching with First Responders Through Podcasting | TPOT 382
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
What Happens When the Work Finds You? Steve Bisson didn’t plan to become a go-to therapist for first responders—but sometimes, purpose arrives without a roadmap. In this episode, Steve shares how a chance encounter on a crisis team back in 1999 set off a chain of events that led to a passionate, purpose-filled career. From riding along in police cruisers to launching a podcast that speaks directly to the hearts of firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement officers, Steve’s story is a powerful reminder that when you say yes to the work that moves you, incredible things happen. Whether...
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Jeremy Zug | Private Pay, Insurance, or Hybrid? Decide For Your Private Practice | TPOT 381
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
What if the two most important questions in your practice— 'Is this financially viable?' and 'Am I doing the work I love?' — didn’t have to compete? In this eye-opening episode, Jeremy dives deep into the strategic crossroads every private practice owner faces, especially when considering whether to take insurance, stay private pay, or explore a hybrid model. He breaks down the real numbers, state-by-state reimbursement differences, and the often-overlooked red flags in insurance relationships—like sneaky non-quantitative treatment limitations and the true cost of claim denials....
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James Marland | Stop Trading Hours for Income: Scalable Growth in Private Practice | TPOT 380
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Are you tired of the “time for dollars” trap—where every vacation, sick day, or even slow week hits your bottom line? In this episode, James Marland gets real about the burnout that comes from trading hours for income and why the solution isn’t just slapping together an online course. He dives into what it really takes to build something scalable and sustainable—without losing yourself or your sanity in the process. Whether you’ve toyed with the idea of creating a course or you’re just craving more freedom in your practice, this conversation is a must-listen. It's honest,...
info_outlineWhitney and James Owens join the show to talk about the origins and usefulness of the Enneagram. They explain how identifying your Enneagram type will be beneficial in your life and the importance of understanding how this impacts your clinical work. Understanding relationship patterns within the lens of the Enneagram will allow the therapeutic relationship to thrive as the clinician helps the client or clients see their own personality within the relationship. Tune in as we chat about meeting treatment goals and having success in work and relationships through the Enneagram.
Meet Whitney & James Owens
Whitney Owens (MA, LPC) and James P. Owens (MDiv, MA) are helping professionals with a passion for empowering others.
Whitney is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Private Practice Consultant. She is the owner of a group private practice, Water’s Edge Counseling, in Savannah, Georgia. In addition to running her practice, she offers individual and group consulting through Practice of the Practice. She hosts a weekly podcast called the Faith in Practice Podcast to help clinicians start and grow their practices with a faith-based background. Whitney has presented multiple times at professional counseling and practice conferences throughout the United States.
James is an Enneagram teacher and founder of Working the Enneagram, LLC. He received his Enneagram certification through the Enneagram Spectrum Training with Jerome Wagner. James holds a Master of Divinity, as well as a second Master's degree in Christian Practice. As both a pastor and teacher, James helps churches, small businesses, and other organizations understand how to utilize the Enneagram to positively impact their members and missions. James has been interviewed on several podcasts and has spoken to multiple groups on the Enneagram specifically in conjunction to counseling/psychotherapy practice and clinical work.
Whitney and James have been married since 2007 and together they are the parents of two beautiful girls.
The Importance of Knowing Your Enneagram Type
You can spend many hours, days, and years understanding the Enneagram. One of the unique things about the Enneagram is it expresses the motives behind people's behaviors. As a therapist, we have to know ourselves to do good work. If you know your Enneagram, it helps you understand your motives in therapy. Whitney is Enneagram type 1, which means she is the reformer and is very controlling. When Whitney started as a therapist, she wanted to know exactly what to say at all times. Since Whitney knows that about herself, she found ways not to control the sessions and not to control her clients.
Identifying Your Strengths And Weaknesses
The Enneagram will help identify the motives behind your actions. In addition, the Enneagram will assist you in determining your strengths and weaknesses and identify the ways you behave when you're doing very well and the ways you act when you're not doing so well. The system is not static; it's a dynamic system. The Enneagram acknowledges that we all are different when in stressful situations vs. happy and secure situations. James is a type 5; he can take on a leadership role when he is doing well. However, under stress, James tends to move towards the characteristics of type 7. As you learn your type and discover more about yourself, you'll identify the directions that you go in when you're doing well and doing not so well.
Using The Enneagram With Your Clients
If you understand your client's Enneagram number, and they're sharing things going on in their life, then you can listen to where they're coming from to know where they're at. Clients might act like they're doing okay, but then they share something that's moving into other numbers that you know are not the healthy place for them. So, you can help clients bring their positive characteristics to the table. The Enneagram is a great way to evaluate your client's levels of emotional health. Each Enneagram type also has its own levels of functioning. As you become familiar with each type, you'll be able to see those characteristics in your clients.
The Seven Deadly Sins For Your Enneagram Type
Each Enneagram type has a deadly sin. So, you actually want to find the spiritual discipline that is the opposite of your sin. When you go into your root sin, you need to practice the opposite to find a healthy place. Here is a list of the deadly sins and what spiritual discipline will help you get to a healthy place:
- Type 1: Anger. You should practice serenity and letting go.
- Type 2: Pride. You should practice humility.
- Type 3: Deceit. You should practice authenticity.
- Type 4: Envy. You should practice balance.
- Type 5: Avarice. You should practice being non-attached.
- Type 6: Anxiety. You should practice courage.
- Type 7: Gluttony. You should practice sobriety.
- Type 8: Lust. You should practice innocence.
- Type 9: Complacent. You should practice action.
Helping Clients Improve Their Relationships
The Enneagram can allow you to help your clients with their relationships. The Enneagram is extremely helpful for marital counseling. Once you understand your partner's Enneagram, people can find a new appreciation and patience for their partner. When your clients understand their own number, it helps them understand how they interact with other people in their lives. Whitney says she does Enneagram work in her group practice. In fact, Whitney says they discuss their Enneagram types and how much they understand themselves during the interview process. Plus, knowing people's Enneagram types helps you appreciate your employees.
Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links!
James & Whitney's Resources
Understanding & Utilizing the Enneagram (10 CE Hours)
Waters Edge Counseling
Grow Your Faith-Based Practice with Faith in Practice Mastermind!
Practice of the Practice: Faith in Practice Podcast
Whitney Owens | Consulting, The Enneagram, & Religion In Private Practice | TPOT 178
Whitney Owens | Starting Fresh & Growing Fast in Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 036
Whitney Owens | Contractors Vs. Employees In Group Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 091
Faith in Practice Consulting with Whitney @Practice of the Practice
Group Practice Launch Membership Community
Email: [email protected]
Resources
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Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT
Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, “Like” us on Facebook.