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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

Release Date: 06/02/2025

Linzy Bonham | Private Practice Shame Around Money | TPOT 395 show art Linzy Bonham | Private Practice Shame Around Money | TPOT 395

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Most of us didn’t get into therapy because we dreamed of being business owners. We wanted to help people. We wanted to do meaningful work. But somewhere along the way, we realized that to have the freedom and flexibility we crave, we’d need to go into private practice —and that meant running a business. Which meant dealing with money. Enter: panic. Linzy Bonham, a former trauma therapist turned financial coach and educator, knows this all too well. When she started her own practice, she quickly noticed that no one was talking about how to manage the financial side of things. There was no...

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Rachel Bentley | Why Your Inner Critic Might Be Running Your Private Practice | TPOT 394 show art Rachel Bentley | Why Your Inner Critic Might Be Running Your Private Practice | TPOT 394

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

When it comes to leading a private practice, most people focus on strategy, logistics, and profitability. But what if the secret to becoming a better therapist, leader, and human being isn’t outside of you, but inside? In this episode, Gordon Brewer sat down with Rachel Bentley of Next Level Private Practice to explore how Internal Family Systems (IFS)—or "parts work"—has completely transformed the way she leads, supervises, and shows up in the therapy room. Spoiler: it’s not just about helping your clients—it starts with understanding yourself. Resources Mentioned In This...

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Dr. Tiana Kelly | Compliance Anxiety: Systems That Strengthen Your Private Practice | TPOT 393 show art Dr. Tiana Kelly | Compliance Anxiety: Systems That Strengthen Your Private Practice | TPOT 393

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Think compliance is just about HIPAA? Think again. In this episode, Gordon sits down with Dr. Tiana Kelly—licensed professional counselor, compliance expert, and co-founder of Private Practice by Design—to unpack what compliance really looks like in a modern private practice. From late notes and misgendering mistakes to the growing use of AI and how to document for maintenance clients, Tiana breaks it all down in a refreshingly honest and approachable way. Whether you're a new therapist still figuring out documentation or a seasoned practice owner ready to level up your systems, this...

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Tara Vossenkemper | The Culture Code for Group Practice | TPOT 392 show art Tara Vossenkemper | The Culture Code for Group Practice | TPOT 392

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Ready to Build a Private Practice People Actually Want to Work In? If you've ever wondered what it really takes to build a group practice with heart, soul, and systems that don’t make your team want to scream into a pillow, this episode is for you. Gordon sits down with the brilliant (and refreshingly honest) Tara Vossenkemper, founder, leadership nerd, and culture whisperer, to talk about the magic behind creating a practice culture where therapists actually feel seen, supported, and inspired. They’re diving into everything from core values that aren’t just fluff, to EOS (aka the...

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Marissa Wells | Private Practice Meets Caregiving | TPOT 391 show art Marissa Wells | Private Practice Meets Caregiving | TPOT 391

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Ever feel like you're stuck between a full caseload and a full calendar of doctor’s appointments - for your parents?  You're not alone.  In this episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, Marissa Wells joins Gordon to talk about what it really looks like to juggle private practice while caring for aging family members. She’s not here to preach “perfect balance”—because let’s face it, that doesn’t exist. Instead, Marissa shares her wisdom on finding harmony, navigating proactive grief, setting real boundaries, and reconnecting with joy in the midst of it all. Whether...

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Andrea Rotondo | Private Practice Finances Don’t Have to Suck | TPOT 390 show art Andrea Rotondo | Private Practice Finances Don’t Have to Suck | TPOT 390

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Ever feel like you're crushing it in session but completely lost when it comes to your practice’s finances? You’re not alone—and you're definitely not broken. In this episode of The Practice of Therapy, Andrea Rotondo is here to pull back the curtain on the real reason so many therapists avoid their numbers (spoiler: it’s not laziness), and how to stop letting fear and overwhelm run the show. If QuickBooks makes you want to cry, if you’ve ever Googled “what is a P&L?” at midnight, or if you just want to feel a little more confident talking to your accountant, this...

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Dr. Marie Fang | What’s Really Burning You Out in Private Practice? | TPOT 389 show art 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 show art 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 show art 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 show art 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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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 intelligence in a grounded, therapeutic way.

If you're curious about how psychedelics actually fit into trauma work, when they're appropriate, and why they’re not a one-size-fits-all miracle, this conversation will challenge your thinking and expand your clinical toolkit. Tune in to discover how seasoned therapists like Dori are bridging science, soul, and therapy to help clients heal in ways traditional methods sometimes can’t reach.

Are you ready to explore the real story behind the hype? Let’s dive in.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode 

Use the promo code “GORDON” to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free

Google Ads for Therapists

Consulting with Gordon

Mental Health Wear TN

Watch this episode on YouTube

Read the show notes here

Meet Dori Lewis

Dori Lewis, MA, MEd, LPC-S, is a co-founder of Elemental Psychedelics and the owner-operator of Reflective Healing in Fort Collins, CO—a psychotherapy group practice that specializes in psychedelic therapy using ketamine, integration therapy, transpersonal psychotherapy, and clinical supervision.

With over a decade of clinical experience, Dori blends transpersonal psychology, depth work, and psychedelic-assisted therapy within a model that centers the therapeutic relationship. To date, she has stewarded nearly 100 ketamine therapy sessions and countless more individual and group ceremonies. She has also been trained and mentored in shamanic ritual, which has helped her bridge traditional counseling practice with transpersonal and existential realms—spaces that can hold incredible meaning and connection for clients.

As an educator and trainer, Dori has delivered numerous talks to the professional psychedelic community through the Nowak Society and other guest lectures. In 2022, she spoke on the importance of psychedelic facilitator ethics through the lens of existential shadow work as a main stage speaker at the Emergence Festival. She co-teaches introductory psychedelic therapy workshops and served as a core lead faculty member with the Psychedelic Research and Training Institute (PRATI) from 2020 to 2023, where she specialized in training new and experienced clinicians on topics like set and setting, ethical ceremony, cultural appropriation in spiritual practices, and ritual in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.

As interest in psychedelic medicine grows, Dori believes it is the responsibility of those with a voice in professional and psychedelic communities to stay informed—and to intercept and challenge disinformation and questionable ethical practices emerging in the public arena.

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