Integrating Sexuality and Somatic Work in Private Practice | Darshana Avila | TPOT 408
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Release Date: 11/17/2025
The Mindset Shifts That Make Private Practice Feel More Sustainable | Tyana Tavakol | TPOT 441
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
What if the biggest thing holding your private practice back isn't your marketing strategy but your mindset? In this episode, I'm joined by Tyana Tavakol to talk about the beliefs that shape the way we build our practices. We explore scarcity versus abundance, the value of finding your niche, and why trying to appeal to everyone often keeps you from connecting with the clients who need you most. We also dive into building an online practice, creating meaningful professional relationships, and learning to trust your own expertise instead of comparing yourself to everyone else. If you've ever...
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Private Practice Stress: What’s Filling Your Bucket? | Kristin Oja | TPOT 440
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Are you burning out in private practice without realizing it? In this episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, Gordon talks with Kristin Oja, DNP, founder of STAT Wellness, about optimizing stress resilience and preventing burnout. Kristin shares a functional medicine perspective on why burnout is not always caused by work alone. Often, it is the buildup of stressors outside of work, including sleep, caffeine, exercise, relationships, technology, self-talk, and lack of recovery. Kristin explains the idea of the “stress bucket” and how even good things, like exercise, intermittent...
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How AI Search Is Changing Private Practice Marketing | Natalie Moore | TPOT 439
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Is SEO dead, or is it just changing? In this episode, I’m joined again by Natalie Moore, a licensed marriage and family therapist and SEO coach for therapists in private practice. Natalie breaks down the difference between SEO and AIO, or artificial intelligence optimization, and explains why therapists don’t need to panic about AI search replacing traditional SEO. We talk about how private practice owners can make their websites easier to find on Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI search tools. Natalie shares why specialty pages, Google Business Profiles, clear niche messaging, and...
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How to Protect Your Private Practice From the Unexpected | Jeanine Rousso | TPOT 438
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
What happens when the therapist is the one who needs support? In this episode, I’m talking about the very real challenges therapists face when life disrupts their ability to work. Private practice can offer freedom and flexibility, but it can also leave clinicians vulnerable when illness, grief, natural disasters, burnout, or unexpected emergencies come up. We’ll look at why therapists need a safety net, how financial stress impacts clinicians, and what it means to prepare your practice for the unexpected. From emergency grants and burnout prevention to referral networks and professional...
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Building a Private Practice Right Out of Grad School | Jarrod Hoffman | TPOT 437
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Can you really build a successful private practice right out of grad school? In this episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, I talk with Jarrod Hoffman about building a private practice right out of grad school and the lessons he has learned in those early years of practice ownership. Jarrod shares his experience of stepping into private practice, navigating pricing, working through imposter syndrome, and learning how to communicate the value of the work he does. We also talk about why niching matters, how our own stories often shape the clients we feel called to serve, and why private...
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What I’d Do Differently If I Started Private Practice Today | TPOT 436
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
When I started my private practice nearly 20 years ago, there were not nearly as many resources available for therapists as there are today. I learned a lot by trial and error, and looking back, there are definitely some things I would do differently. In this episode, I’m sharing what I wish I had known when I first started private practice. One of the biggest lessons I learned is that I made things more complicated than they needed to be. From keeping paper records to waiting too long to outsource, I can see now how simpler systems would have made a big difference early on. I talk about the...
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From Imposter Syndrome to Confident Private Practice Owner | Bianca Hughes | TPOT 435
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Are you charging enough in private practice, or does guilt keep getting in the way? In this episode, Gordon is joined by Bianca Hughes, LPC, therapist, speaker, mentor, and founder of Authentically BU and the Soulful Clinician Collective. Bianca shares how she moved from hospital work into private practice and the mindset shifts that helped her build a career that feels aligned, sustainable, and authentic. Gordon and Bianca talk about money mindset, imposter syndrome, marketing, confidence, and why therapists need to see themselves as both clinicians and business owners. Bianca also shares why...
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How to Make Therapy More Culturally Responsive | Dr. Phebe Brako | TPOT 434
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Phebe Brako for a really thoughtful conversation about what it means to make therapy more culturally responsive. So many of the clinical theories we learn were developed through a Western lens, and while those theories can be helpful, they don’t always fit every client, every family system, or every cultural background. Dr. Phebe talks about why therapists need to examine their own worldview, stay curious about their clients’ lived experiences, and be willing to adapt the models they use in the therapy room. We talk about culture, family systems, CBT,...
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Why Private Practice Looks So Different Now | Lex E Santí | TPOT 433
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Private practice has changed a LOT over the last few years… and therapists are still trying to figure out what comes next. In this episode, Gordon talks with Lex E. Santi about the evolution of therapy after telehealth, online platforms, insurance shifts, and changing client expectations. They dive into why more clinicians are entering private practice, why clients still crave in-person connection, and how companies like BetterHelp, Alma, and Headway are reshaping the profession. They also explore the pressure therapists feel to market themselves, build niches, and create an online presence...
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What to Say to Someone Grieving (Most People Get This Wrong) | Shelby Forsythia | TPOT 432
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Grief is something every one of us will face at some point, and yet most of us have no idea what to say when someone is hurting. In this episode, I’m joined by Shelby Forsythia, a grief coach, author, and host of the Grief Grower podcast. Shelby shares her own story of profound loss and how it shaped the work she does today, helping people navigate grief in a way that actually honors what they are going through. We talk about why so many common phrases miss the mark, what grieving people are really experiencing beneath the surface, and how grief doesn’t just affect your emotions, it...
info_outlineIn today’s episode, I am sitting down with Darshana Avila for a truly fascinating and important conversation about the intersection of sexuality, somatic work, and trauma healing.
As therapists, we often talk about the mind and body connection, but many of us shy away from exploring how that connection relates to our clients’ sexuality, intimacy, and sense of pleasure. Darshana brings a deeply trauma-informed and culturally sensitive approach to this work, helping clients reconnect with their bodies, navigate consent, and move beyond shame into embodied wholeness.
In our discussion, we explore what sexological bodywork actually looks like, how it differs from traditional sex therapy, and why somatic awareness is essential for both healing trauma and deepening intimacy. We also touch on how therapists can hold space for these conversations within private practice and why it is so important to bring curiosity, consent, and compassion to this part of the human experience.
This is one of those episodes that might stretch your perspective a bit, and that is a good thing. I am so grateful to Darshana for sharing her wisdom, and I think you will walk away with a richer understanding of how to support your clients and yourself in a more embodied and holistic way.
In This Episode, We Cover:
- How Darshana’s personal journey led her to somatic and erotic healing work
- The difference between sexological bodywork and traditional sex therapy
- Why somatic awareness is essential for trauma healing and intimacy
- What it means to truly “come home to your body”
- How consent goes beyond just saying yes or no
- The role of the nervous system in safety, pleasure, and connection
- How therapists can introduce somatic principles in private practice
- Understanding erotic wholeness and how it expands our idea of healing
- The impact of shame and cultural conditioning around sexuality
- Why pleasure and safety are part of the same healing process
Resources Mentioned In This Episode
Use the promo code “GORDON” to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free
Profit First for Therapists Workbook
Meet Darshana Avila
Darshana Avila is a trauma-informed somatic sex & intimacy practitioner (SEP, CSB) who guides people through embodied journeys of erotic wholeness. Her work blends nervous-system regulation, somatic awareness, consent-fluency, and relational liberation. Featured on Sex, Love & Goop (Netflix), she supports women, non-binary folks, and couples in reclaiming pleasure, voice, and connection.