Episode 146: Shattering the Status Quo on How NOT to be the Typical Psychotherapist

Summary

Episode 146: Shattering the Status Quo on How NOT to be the Typical Psychotherapist

Podcast: Private Practice Startup
Hosts: Dr. Kate Campbell & Katie Lemieux
Guests: Ernesto Segismundo Jr., LMFT & Talia Bombola, AMFT
Release Date: July 27, 2019

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Overview

This episode is a vibrant, honest discussion about redefining what it means to be a psychotherapist in today’s world. Hosts Kate and Katie are joined by returning guest Ernesto Segismundo Jr. and first-timer Talia Bombola for an energetic and laughter-filled conversation on breaking away from traditional norms, choosing authenticity, and building community within the mental health field. Using their experiences from the "Not Your Typical Psychotherapist Summit," they explore how clinicians can embrace their unique selves, challenge the status quo, and support each other’s growth in business and personal development.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Origin of "Not Your Typical Psychotherapist" (04:07–07:09)

• Authenticity and Creativity: Ernesto shares how clients recognized him as "not the typical counselor" due to his direct style, openness about side ventures (like videography and teaching), and authentic self-expression—even swearing in sessions.
• Community Celebration: The Not Your Typical Psychotherapist movement and summit were created to foster a community where clinicians celebrate ethical and legal practice while also embracing their individuality.
  • Quote: “We are going to be ethical and legal, but we’re also going to be ourselves and not afraid of the status quo.” — Ernesto (05:35)
• Entrepreneurial Insomnia: The group jokes about the phenomenon of being kept awake by big, creative ideas (07:09).

Talia’s Journey: Shattering her Own Status Quo (07:22–11:46)

• Background Shift: Talia initially intended to enter law enforcement because she craved challenge and wanted to stand out. She ultimately realized she could have a big impact as an authentic therapist.
  • Quote: “I realized that I could protect people in society by being more authentic as a therapist.” — Talia (09:00)
• Practicing Differently: During her training, Talia maintained a high client load, ran groups, juggled multiple jobs, and consistently broke limits others placed on her.
• Building a Brand: Talia now operates an e-commerce business, hosts podcasts, and mentors grads—all as a pre-licensed therapist.

Vulnerability and Support as Keys to Growth (12:13–13:02)

• Talia’s Advice: She recommends self-therapy, learning to ask for help, and vulnerability, especially when shattering stigmas or pushing beyond comfort zones.
  • Quote: “You are enough and you are worth it to try, and even if you fail, you just figured out another way that doesn’t work.” — Talia (12:46)

Mentorship and Navigating Success (13:07–16:28)

• Mentor-Mentee Relationship: Ernesto describes the emotional complexity of watching mentees succeed—wanting to protect them from negativity, but also knowing it’s part of growth.
  • Quote: “As you shine brighter, people are going to come after you…” — Ernesto (15:15)
• Guiding the Next Generation: He emphasizes pushing new clinicians to break molds and create their personal paths.

Defining "Not So Typical Psychotherapist" (16:40–17:39)

• Authenticity in Practice: Talia refuses to “wear a different hat” in the therapy room, prioritizing being “herself” with clients over putting on a clinical persona.
  • Quote: “It’s the authenticity and having the confidence ... being yourself ... not afraid to show that to clients, because that’s what clients need.” — Talia (16:51)

Rethinking Supervision and the Value of Authenticity (19:54–22:10)

• Beyond Cases and Diagnoses: The hosts and guests stress the importance of supervisors addressing clinicians’ humanity, not just case details. Personal development is essential for effective practice and business.
  • Quote: “To be a well-rounded therapist ... we need to talk about other things. Sometimes that’s private practice, sometimes it’s marketing, sometimes it’s the self.” — Katie (19:54)

The Role of Branding from an Authentic Place (22:10–22:17)

• Digging Deeper: Ernesto highlights the importance of self-awareness and working from one’s "shadow side" to achieve genuine authenticity in therapy and business branding.

Impact of Authenticity: From Summit to Community (25:44–34:08)

• Summit Design: Ernesto explains his intent for the Not Your Typical Psychotherapist Summit—to create a connected, “level playing field” community where doctors, seasoned clinicians, and students interact as equals.
  • Quote: “You are not typical. You are human first and then your business, your career, later.” — Ernesto (28:59)
• Emotional Impact: Both hosts and Talia share how the summit allowed them to be liberated, inspired, and “infused with energy.”
  • Quote: “You liberated the whole room by showing up authentically as who you are…” — Katie (29:54)
• Community over Competition: The environment celebrated ideas and mutual support, rather than competition.

Overcoming External Critique and Haters (30:28–31:29)

• Owning the "Friend Summit": Ernesto shrugs off criticism that the event seemed like “just friends coming together”—deliberately fostering a supportive, positive community.
  • Quote: “Do you want to have all the haters in one room? What the hell?” — Ernesto (31:07)

The Power of Networking and Restorative Processing (31:32–33:13)

• Talia on the Summit: The intense energy and meaningful connections at the summit left her needing hours to process, but the experience reinforced her commitment to doing things her way.

Looking Forward: Conference Expansion and Vision (34:19–38:44)

• Big Plans for 2020: Next year’s summit will feature even more content on systems and money—focusing on how therapists can make their businesses work for them, not the other way around. Keynote: Mike Michalowicz (author of Profit First & Clockwork).
  • Quote: “We’re just gonna give more content … create systems that would not have you work so hard in your business, but letting your business work for you.” — Ernesto (35:08)
• More Inclusion: Presenters will include pre-licensed clinicians and established therapists together, highlighting all levels of professional development.

Talia’s Business: Swag for Therapy (41:25–42:01)

• E-commerce Growth: Talia proudly wears and sells shirts like "Setting boundaries like it’s my job," living her brand as a not-so-typical therapist.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Time | Speaker | Quote/Highlight | |:----:|:--------|:---------------| | 04:07 | Ernesto | “Not your typical psychotherapist is ... a celebration of community ... clinicians who are just doing things outside of the norm.” | | 12:46 | Talia | “You are enough and you are worth it to try, and even if you do fail, you just figured out another way that doesn’t work.” | | 15:15 | Ernesto | “As you shine brighter, people are going to come after you ... I want to cheer her on, but at the same time, it’s like, you’re going to have a lot of people going, I want what you have.” | | 16:51 | Talia | “It’s the authenticity and having the confidence ... not afraid to show that to clients, because that’s what clients need.” | | 28:59 | Ernesto | “You are not normal. You are not typical. You are human first and then your business, your career, later.” | | 29:54 | Katie | “You liberated the whole room by showing up authentically as who you are, which gave us permission to do the same.” | | 31:07 | Ernesto | “Do you want to have all the haters in one room? ... Of course [it] should feel like we are all friends in the room.” | | 35:08 | Ernesto | “We’re just gonna give more content that would help you create systems that would not have you work so hard in your business, but letting your business work for you.” | | 41:25 | Talia | Shirt: “Setting boundaries like it’s my job.” (She wears it with clients and sells it at therapywithtalia.com) |

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Important Timestamps

• [04:07] Ernesto describes the birth of “Not Your Typical Psychotherapist.”
• [09:07] Talia’s turning point: choosing therapy over law enforcement.
• [12:13] Talia’s top three tools for breaking stigma.
• [16:40] Talia defines what it means to be an authentic, not-so-typical psychotherapist.
• [19:54] Discussion on expanding supervision to personal development.
• [25:44] Summit structure and intentionally building a safe, level community.
• [31:32] Talia reflects on the summit’s impact: “minute by minute transformation.”
• [34:49] Preview of Not Your Typical Psychotherapist Summit 2020: themes, location, keynote.
• [41:25] Talia showcases her therapy-branded e-commerce swag.

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers an inspiring, honest look at how therapists—and those in training—can break the mold and create fulfilling careers that reflect their true selves. The synergy between the hosts and their guests, and the focus on authenticity, support, and celebration of individuality, make this a must-listen (and must-read!) for anyone feeling stifled by traditional norms in therapy or business. Erasing boundaries between “the professional” and “the personal,” they illustrate that true impact—and real success—comes from embracing every aspect of who you are.

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Learn more about resources, paperwork, and the signature Not Your Typical Psychotherapist Summit at:

• privatepracticestartup.com
• cavacademy.com
• therapywithtalia.com

Skip the FOMO: Be there, be authentic, and join the movement!

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Private Practice Startup podcast where we help ambitious private practitioners across the globe to brand themselves and grow their dream practices. We chat with successful private practitioners, business coaches and marketing experts, bringing you tons of practice building Ninja tips. Visit privatepracticestartup.com for awesome resources, attorney approved private practice paperwork and our signature marketing E course. Here are your co hosts, Dr. Kate Campbell and Katie Lemieux.

[B]

Hey everybody. Welco. Welcome back to another episode of the Private Practice Startup podcast. We were already having a ton of fun before we hit record and I can only imagine that the rest of this podcast is going to be the exact same way. So we hope you guys joined us last week as we talked to Dr. Elizabeth King on profit how to profit, five steps to building your six figure private practice. Dr. King is just an amazing woman. She's done a lot in her career and a lot for the community, so you'll definitely want to check that out. And before I introduce today's show guests and the awesome title that we're going to be tackling today, I just wanted to thank you. If you are a first time guest, you are our VIP and we're rolling out the virtual red carpet for you. And with that, we have a special gift for you. We are committed to the growth and development of your private practice. So we would love to gift you our a Z cheat sheet, the essentials for building and growing your dream practice. You can head over to PrivatePracticesStartup.com, over to the resources tab and there you'll find the it is a cheat sheet. Just download and it's really a roadmap for helping you build your private practice. Along with that will come five days of practice building emails really supporting your growth in private practice. So today we have a third timer return guest and if you guys have followed us for any length of time, you know we love this dude. Ernesto Segiz Mundo joins us again.

[C]

What's up? Aloha.

[D]

Gotta say his name like the wwe.

[B]

Oh yeah, I do love to say that. All right, ready? Here we go. So our third time guest joins us. Ernesto Segiz Mundo.

[C]

I love doing that. Wow, that was pretty impressive, Katie.

[B]

Well, I think it's like the mic is in front of me so I feel all official like if I am announcing or whatever.

[C]

Oh, I can already tell with the energy right now with all of us, it's just gonna go downhill from here, right?

[D]

We're only going up, baby.

[C]

There you go. There you go.

[B]

And we have a first timer with us and that is Talia Bumbala.

[D]

I did say.

[E]

Right.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

I messed it up. I'm like, look, I was looking for the affirmation of her non verbal. That's correct.

[D]

Waiting for an exciting Talia Bumbola.

[E]

There we go. And in this corner.

[C]

That'S way better.

[D]

Oh, we're having fun on this podcast already.

[B]

So Talia is actually almost licensed and she works in conjunction with Ernesto and his amazing group in California Cab Family Therapy. Ernesto is also the owner of the filmit.com with a Y, not an I had your promo video done by him. You might want to think about that. He actually just did ours and it was really awesome and amazing. But anyways, we are going to be talking about shattering the status quo. How not to be the typical psychotherapist. So I just want to give a disclaimer in this podcast. You might be offended if you feel like you are not the typical psychotherapist and we're talking about things that you are. So I just want to say that just kind of a little disclaimer from the beginning, but that's kind of just like dive in. I don't know. So I guess I kind of want to start with you, Ernesto, and just share a little bit about your story, your journey. And, you know, we just got back in May, so we're in June right now from what you've created called the not so Typical Psychotherapist Summit. And it was really just an honor and a privilege, and it was actually more of an honor and a privilege after we went, because I didn't realize the amazing impact and movement that you created until we went. So share with us a little bit about how did that all get created.

[C]

Yeah, I just love your disclaimer because, you know, that really sets the tone to the direction that we're going into. So the not typical psychotherapist is two things. One, it's a celebration of community, and two, a celebration of clinicians who are just doing things that are just outside of the norm of what the typical conventional psychotherapist is perceived to be. Right. I noticed this when I started doing things in my practice that was just outside of the norm, like being directed with my clients and encouraging them to be creative and not having such a judgmental approach to the process of their work. And I had a client who said, you know, you're not the typical counselor I'm used to. And I was kind of thrown off by that statement because I was like, what do you mean by that? I was like, well, you're a videographer. You've got multiple businesses. Because I was very, just open and honest about what the things that I do outside of the therapy setting. You know, you're a professor, you're about to write a book and all of those things and you drop a lot of F bombs in this session and you make me feel safe, but at the same time, you allow me to be in places where I don't feel safe and I can grow. Right? And so that is where I notice that many psycho therapists who are doing things outside of the norm want to do it secretly because they can be shamed, Right? Because we are, we are in the world where, you know, you go to. In our trainings, we do the law and ethics and they scare the shit out of us, right? About what we need to do, how we need to be as a clinician. And I just want to celebrate the people, the clinicians who are saying things like, we are going to be ethical and legal, but we're also going to be ourselves at the same time and not be afraid of the status quo and challenge actually the status quo quote. And we have Talia on, which I'm really excited about, because she is not. She just like many of us, she's not the normal.

[B]

Whatever that means.

[C]

What that means is that she's doing other things like she's selling mugs, she's going to be doing. She has a podcast like you guys. She's just not confining herself within the therapeutic setting, which is our offices, Right? She's doing things outside. She's being herself. So the not your typical psychotherapist movement and summit is a celebration of community and those folks who want to be within that community and to when you have a big idea, when you can't sleep at night. And I love what Talia said. I think it was called entrepreneurial insomnia. Yes, right. That is a thing. It is a thing, right? When you have a beautiful idea and you go, I have this big idea with the. Not your typical psychotherapy. You're not going to be shot down. You're going to be met with the. Oh, that's an interesting thing. How can we get you to that spot?

[E]

Right?

[B]

So, Talia, why don't we come over to you and we'll have you kind of introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about who you are and you know, you're working in Cav Academy and all that good stuff.

[E]

So my name is Talia Bombola. I work as a pre licensed marriage and family therapist here in California. I work at Cav family therapy. And I do think that I shatter the status quo, not only as a therapist, but a pre licensed therapist. And I think that's kind of what popped into my head thinking about what it should be called is it is shattering the status quo. It's realizing, yes, as long as you know, has Ernesto said, you're ethical and legal, the sky's the limit. And actually I said Ernesto told me that the other day. And he's like, actually, that's not true because there's footsteps on the moon, so the sky really isn't even the limit. When you think about what you can do as a therapist and being off authentic is something I pride myself on and it's something that clients connect with, that I'm a real human being and I've either seen, heard, or done it all myself or from a client. And they are able to not feel judged. So as a therapist, it's great. And just walking around as Talia as a person, it's really great to not be a standard and to stand out. It's amazing.

[B]

Well, and you got a cool name, right?

[C]

Aren't you guys happy that you invited her on? I mean, seriously.

[B]

Heck yeah, we are.

[C]

Right?

[D]

And we got to meet her in May and really connected. And it's great to see you again and have you on the podcast and you're gonna be launching your own podcast soon, which is so exciting.

[E]

Yeah, I have a couple of them actually. So that's been daunting to get up and off the ground. So I feel this, this technology has been really helpful, but it's also a headache sometimes, as I'm sure you guys can relate.

[B]

Totally. So, Talia, tell us, how did I know you're. Well, not your journey, but I know that you were going to go into law enforcement and clearly you're not in law enforcement and you're a therapist. So what happened there? Where was that detour?

[E]

I think this was probably thinking back my second year of grad school that I was thinking, you know what, therapy is great, but it's a little too fluffy for me. And I'm more of like an alpha female. I can, you know, I can be this tough, like, nurturing protector. And so I decided to go through the process of law enforcement and I quickly got from probably like, I don't know, however many applicants there were, down to like the final 10 or so. And then getting down even further from that, along that process, I realized, you know what, I didn't want to do law enforcement for the reasons that most people Do. I wanted to do it to stand out, to be able to protect people in society. And I realized that I could do that by being more authentic as a therapist. So it was this weird crossroads where I sent off for my associate number and I was waiting to hear back from the higher up lieutenants, and I heard back from the VBS first. And I'm like, all right, right. That's what I'm supposed to be doing. And I never look back.

[B]

Wow, what a good crossroads story.

[C]

I love it.

[E]

Oh, yeah.

[D]

And how did you tell us a little bit about your journey with like, shattering the stigma?

[E]

Oh, yeah. So I, as a trainee, I think, and in grad school we had one private practice management class, but because I was going to be a cop, I'm like, I don't need this. So I never paid attention. And then in my practicum, I was like, crap. I really wish I would focus a little bit more, but I realized that I didn't want to just see however many clients they wanted me to see, like five or seven. So I carried a caseload of, I think 18 clients. I ran three groups. I also worked as a nanny. I was training for the police academy all at the same time and not ever accepting, oh, no, that's not what we can do as an answer and realizing I can figure out a way to make it work for me. And I actually finished half, over half my hours working as a just a trainee and being able to just really figure out. I love counseling and I love therapy and I want dive headfirst into it. And then I took a break and then I dove right into private practice and marketing. And I had to hit a minimum at my first site within a month or within six months, and I hit it within two weeks of clients and payment. So I was like, okay, that's easy. What's next? Like, I always, I wanted it, I did it thoroughly. I hit a goal, and then I thought, okay, what's next for me? And then I would see people on social media, oh, they did a conference, they did a podcast, whatever. And I was like, you know what? I can do that. And so starting to build on that. And now I have an e commerce business and two podcasts, and I host speaking engagements and I mentor other grad students. And it just, it's grown and built so much in the last year, it almost leaves me speechless.

[B]

No wonder why you don't sleep.

[E]

Oh, yeah, I do that too.

[C]

Entrepreneurial insomnia, Katie.

[B]

I know. I see this.

[E]

I've coined it.

[B]

That would be Maybe a good podcast.

[D]

Yeah, that would be what's been most helpful for you, Talia, as your journey. Going through this, shattering the stigma and, like, really pushing through those barriers and expectations.

[E]

Being in my own therapy, to be honest, has been really helpful and feeling support. Learning how to ask for help was huge for me. It was the most painful thing during the process, but now I'm so glad I just ask for help in general from anyone. Being vulnerable helped a lot, and knowing that you are enough and you are worth it to try, and even if you do fail, you just figured out another way that doesn't work, but you learn now to try again. And not giving up really helped to shatter that stigma and to believe in yourself, even on those days where you didn't have. I didn't have other people, like, rooting for me because maybe I didn't want to share, like, oh, this is really hard for me. But just getting up every day and doing the work and being vulnerable and reaching out for help, I would say that's the top three things that helped me.

[B]

Nice. And how did you and Ernesto meet and what has your journey been since the two of you met?

[E]

So he was my advanced psychopathology professor in my second year of grad school, and he broke the mold as a therapist and as the teacher, and we really got to see that in class because he was very honest about his journey as a therapist towards licensure especially. And he was just such a human being in class. Like, he actually showed up. He taught us things that were applicable in real life, and then we stayed connected on social media, and one of my co workers, who's my best friend, connected us kind of. And I went to Kauai, and then I'm like, wait, I would love to work for you. I think this would be a great fit. And, you know, we had discussions, and we had already had the prior relationship just being a student of his, and it took off from there.

[B]

Very cool. I love that. So you guys have recently started working together because Kauai was this year, six months?

[C]

Yeah, yeah, it's about six months. And, you know, Talia was really a go getter. I mean, I recognize that group of students at that time when I, when I taught at that school, was very driven, and Talia really stood out, you know, and so there was a handful of students there that I was like, wow, if I had an empire, I would build, right? I would build my empire with these students because they were just very creative. But at that time, I don't think they knew the gift that they were carrying. Right. And so, like, for us, Kate, Katie, as mentors, as supervisors, we won't want to harness that. And it's easy when you have someone like Talia to go, okay, here's a direction. Now shatter the direction I'm giving you and make your own direction and then pave your own way. And it really comes back around.

[D]

You know, what's it been like for you to see her evolve from her journey, from being that. That ambitious student in your classroom to now actually having her in your practice and seeing her shatter all these barriers and just really evolve?

[C]

You know, it's really, really mixed emotions because, you know, as a clinician, I'm really excited for her, but at the same time, as a supervisor, I'm really nervous for. For her, because as you shine brighter, people are going to come after you, and that's not a good feeling at all. And so as you escalate in success, I want to cheer her on. But at the same time, it's like, you're going to have a lot of people going, I want what you have, but since I can't have that, I'm going to knock you down. And that's what the not your typical psychotherapist is. And maybe I'm coming from a perspective where I've been traumatized by some of those aspects, but at the same time, the next generation really don't know some of the things that will come up when you become incredibly successful. Right. So it's exciting, but at the same time, it's kind of like, oh, crap. So there is a sense of, how can I shelter them from this? And then I think to myself, how can I push them towards it and propel themselves up? Right. So sometimes I kind of step back and go, how are you going to handle that? And for me, as a supervisor, as a mentor, I'm like, okay, I want to save you, but, okay, that's. That's my thing, Right?

[B]

Yeah. Stepping back from being the rescuer and kind of allowing things to unfold. Talia, I'm curious for you and kind of your own words, what would you say the not so typical psychotherapist is.

[E]

Somebody who is authentic in their real life, and when they walk into the therapy room, given law and ethics, they're still the same person. I don't wear a different hat. I don't talk in a different voice. I don't not prim and proper. Like, I'll kick off my shoes. I sit with my feet up. I'll throw my legs over the side of the couch. If I'm working with a teenager, like, I'm me, I show up as me both in and out of the therapy room. I maybe think a little differently, but that's about it. It's the authenticity and having the confidence is my number one thing that I think I'm known for is being yourself. Not your typical psychotherapist. Means different things to different people, but it means being authentic to who you are and not afraid to show that to clients because that's what clients to hear, in my opinion, clients need to hear. Oh my God, you're a human being too. Not. Oh, how does that make you feel? Yeah. Do I ask that? Of course. But I want to know so I can help them with it and not just sit there and write on a clipboard and push my glasses up my nose and nod.

[B]

You know, glasses that you don't have. Uh huh.

[E]

Right. I do. I should be wearing them right now, but I'm not.

[B]

I still remember, you know, actually like growing up, my parents were divorced when I was very young and so it was many years of being dragged to the therapist because they had a really ugly divorce and then issues as a teenager myself. And I remember literally one therapist, she must have been billing insurance and like worked, I don't know, 80 hours a week. But I remember literally there's like a bag of Burger King on the side of her chair and like, literally she fell asleep in session. You can't do that with a teenager, right? Like, you just like lose. I mean, she just must have had lunch or like that five minutes in between that we all have chowed down and who knows what number of client I was of hers. But yeah, and you know, and I think when I know that we've had to, Kate and I, because we share brains, so we talk for each other, had to go through our own process of really developing into our own authenticity, not only in the therapy room, but through the private practice, startup. And even recently, you know, recently there was a situation. Well, not a situation, but, you know, we made a decision about our promo video that we did with Ernesto and kind of got some feedback. One of our startup nation superheroes that totally didn't love what we did. But that's okay. And it feels better when you can just say to yourself, I'm okay with this, and then be able to say to the world, or whoever it is, I'm okay with that and be okay with yourself. Right. And I know that you were mentioning that like, you are enough. Right? And so when we can step into the place of in our own power and be okay with what we're doing, even though it's not necessarily the norm. I know. I recently went to a networking event. I was talking about supervision practice, and two of the people are like, well, in supervision, you know, we talk about cases only and diagnosis and this and that. And interestingly enough, here in Florida. Exactly. Talia is making the gagging noise. Interestingly enough, here in Florida, Kate and I actually teach the supervision course. So if you want to become a supervisor, we teach that. And per the state, the law, the code, it says that you do have to talk about those things. But you know what? I couldn't imagine just talking about cases and supervision because my interns get so much more. And to me, to be a well rounded, whole, holistic, whole therapist is we need to talk about other things. And sometimes that's private practice, sometimes that's marketing, sometimes that's the system, sometimes that's how to deal with a nasty co.

[E]

Worker as a person.

[D]

Yes. The self therapist stuff is a big part of it for us.

[B]

And I do a lot of that.

[E]

I did that in my first supervision ever. I remember, I'm like, you know what? This is all well and good talking about cases, but I'm having a rough time in my life. It was just a big transitional season for me and I needed to be able to talk about it because that's why I couldn't focus on clients. And I brought that up in supervision. Like, I don't care what you all talk. This is years ago. I don't care what you all talk about. I'm bringing up personal stuff, and if you don't like it, you don't have to listen to it or do it. And then that transformed me being able to bring that up. I didn't need help with cases. I didn't need an intervention. I needed to talk about my countertransference and why sitting with clients was so difficult at times because of my own junk, not because of the client stuff. It was a mirror to look into myself of, oh, I haven't touched that in a while. I want to work through that. That's what made supervision the best. And that's why I love working for Ernesto. That's what it's. We do talk about cases, but we also talk about how those cases affect me as a person and as a therapist.

[C]

I'm sorry. And so you're right, because the AMFT also hone in on the person of a clinician and supervisors and myself. I Mean, I go to my own counseling. If I don't, if I'm not aware of my shadows, it is going to seep into your clinical work. And I think as supervisors, Kate and Katie, I think we all understand this, is that if we are mentoring and supervisor supervising young pre licensed clinicians like Polya, we have to help them to understand that internal process, right? So the. Not your typical psychotherapist, you guys nailed it. It's all about the authenticity. You cannot be authentic if you cannot dig deep within the shadows, right? And so authenticity hides there. And to bring it to light, you become your full self. That's why I just appreciate your case, Katie, your presentation, because you guys touched on and Michael's as well. Too. Kind of touched on in your branding presentations and in your marketing about the Johari window. Right? Because that attacks the shadows, that brings up the shadow. So Talia makes a very good point. And the way that you guys brand your business should be from an authentic and genuine space.

[B]

Let's just take a quick break for our sponsor before we forget to do that because we're so excited about this, this podcast topic.

[D]

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[B]

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[D]

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[B]

So I know we could go on for like an hour on this discussion, and it's really great. And you know what I'm hearing from you guys and, oh, wait a second, wait. I think I have something here. We've been saying authenticity, and I haven't rung the bell. Kate hasn't rung the bell. And I know the two of you have a bell now because we're delivering at the conference.

[C]

I have whole box of them.

[E]

Shake the box.

[B]

Just bring it. Just bring it to Florida.

[C]

I will.

[B]

So I know that we could talk a lot about this. And, you know, I just keep hearing authenticity, authenticity. And when we go to the research. Right, so the research is common factors, right. And common factors of how clients make progress in session are based on two major things. Right. Is number one, how they view their relationship with a therapist. And a lot of that is based on that authentic connection, you know, And I can't tell you how many times. Not that I utilize my couples work as my own session, but it's not. It's like I talk about my own relationship and where I was before my work with Gottman. I remember. And I serve couples all the time. I'm like, I remember sitting in the training and them going over the Four Horsemen and going, oh, crap, I do that. Oh, shit. Oh, I do that too. Is that really criticism as well?

[E]

And I go through this whole attack. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

I go through this whole big production because, you know, a lot of times is like, people think like, oh, the therapist is this high and mighty. Not that we think that, but they view us that way. It's that perspective. And so when we can bring ourselves down and connect, like, that's what makes the difference for people a lot of times rather than that, you know, I'm in my therapist box and no self disclosure and let me dress a certain way and stuff like that. And I know it took some time for us to just really be comfortable with that as well. So I just want to kind of take a shift into the summit and just talk a little bit about the summit and also your experience, Talia, as being a participant and kind of go from there. So maybe, Renesso, maybe you just share a little bit about. I know we talked about, like, how it was created, but, you know, you brought together really an amazing group of people that I was touch moved and inspired by.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

Yeah, no, so share with us about why you chose the people you did and what it is that you were trying to really create with your speakers.

[C]

Yeah, all the speakers that was there, I actually been following them for a while. And many of you who have attended a filmit.com presentation, you know that they're on my PowerPoint, right. You know that I've been talking about them a lot. And so I thought I want to match everyone with my energy or even more because I don't want to be presenting a whole two day conference or summit. So that's how I looked at it. And I trusted all of the speakers there. I knew they had different areas where they could provide or a puzzle with the. Not your typical psychotherapist. And many of them are desiring to be at a spot of psychotherapy success in their business. But I had to redefine what success was for them because many of us are looking at the numbers, but we are not looking at the psychological and emotional factors of success. And so that's basically where I'm going into. And I structured it where I wanted everyone to be in the room. I didn't want the typical conferences or summits where all of the sponsors were different venue or room and the. Where the food was somewhere else and the presenters were somewhere else. I wanted everybody in the room. And I also wanted to make it like community style. Where I grew up on Kauai. And so the way that we take care of our visitors is that we feed them, we make sure that they feel like they are number one. And so that was my grand goal. All the presenters from day one to day two, I structured it with a type of energy which is community based. You guys, Kate and Katie started off the morning right the first day because I knew, I knew that energy, I knew that energy. And I wanted to end with something extreme, extremely emotional and activating, which is the money piece which Carrie closed off. Everything in between was just a support, but everything in between, I wanted to make it fun. If you notice when you walk into the room, there's 80s music playing. People are walking around, people are taking selfies. This is a reflection of my spirit and I wanted to recreate that. And so that's how I wanted to formulate that. And here's the other thing and I want to hone in on this. I wanted to level the playing field from doctors to licensed clinicians who've been doing this for so long. And to my students, that's why you saw me celebrating. Even the students that paid a lot of money to attend to say, look Guys, I've got my students here and just brag about them so much that even the licensed folks go, whoa, we need to celebrate them. Because, you know, that's where I wanted to level the playing field. I wanted to have everyone give permission to. To everyone to put their initials that they work so hard. Their certification, all of those things work so hard for out the door, right? And I wanted everybody to be level playing field and go, you are not normal. You are not typical. You are human first and then your business, your career later, right? So that's where I'm at with doing the not your typical psychotherapist. That's where I was surprised about the movement, I got to tell you, but because I just wanted to get people together, like a huge luau.

[D]

What surprised you the most about the movement?

[C]

Well, what surprised me the most was the emotional and psychological response where people go, I feel it. I get it. Right? It's okay to be human. It's okay to be me. And they were posting that on social media, and I was so surprised that people gave me permission to be on stage to say the things that I said and to do the things that I did and to people, and you.

[B]

Gave us permission to do that. And, you know, after the summit, I was just really moved. And, you know, Kate and I sent you the Marianne Williamson poem, right? Our deepest fear. And that when we liberate ourselves and share our own light, we consciously give, unconsciously give permission for others to the same. And it was just like, you know, I've never been. You know, there's. When you talk about the Johari window, right? It's like, this is what you show to the world. This is what the conscious unconscious, all that stuff, right? And then there's a part of us that we don't show, right? But, like, I just feel like you liberated the whole room by showing up authentically as who you are, which gave us permission to do the same. So it was just like that, to me, was the movement.

[C]

And you know, the really cool thing, the funny thing is there was a post on social media prior to the not your typical psychotherapist summit. And one of the negative posts was, it just seems like all of these summits and conferences are just a bunch of friends coming together and creating CE summits. And then I remember somebody posting that and then texting me going, I think they're talking about you. And I go, what? And so when I look at that, I go, duh. Of course. It should feel like we are all friends in the room. What? What?

[D]

What is wrong with that?

[C]

What is wrong with. Do you want, do you want to have all of the haters in one room that hate you? What the. What the hell? So when I saw that at first I was kind of like offended, but at the same time like duh. Of course that's what I wanted to do. I wanted for all of us to be friends and to be a community. So amazing, Amazing.

[B]

Talia, what was it like for you as a participant?

[E]

So I love going to the those types of conferences especially. It is eye opening and walking into the room you could feel the energy. It was a minute by minute transformation of oh, I want to work on that, or gosh, I never thought of it that way, or oh, I thought I was done with that. But it's coming up for me again. And to be able to connect with people who are so like minded and that type of energy draws other people to it. So it's not. I would definitely not want to be in a room full of haters. Like I don't think you could pay me enough to go back to that. It sounds like going back to middle school. So no thank you on that. I'd way rather walk into what we had that, that conference in May and be able to say, wow, these people are like me. Even though we're at different laying feet, like different levels of the same playing field, that doesn't mean any one person is better or worse off than another. We're all like minded. We all want the same goal for ourselves, which is to be able to be an authent therapist, to be able to not be typical and be okay with that and celebrated for it and the whole conference. I remember making friends and networking and seeing old friends I'd met at, you know, the Kauai retreat. And at the end of it, feeling like when on the drive home I was like, I need to just process this. And for like probably six to eight hours after. And the next day was Mother's Day, so that was hard. But probably six to eight hours after I just didn't want to hear words. I just wanted to sit in that fullness and realize, realize, whoa, that was so impactful. And it just stop all these neurons in my brain of, oh, and I can do that and I can do this. And it reminds me that I can continue to do what I'm doing and I'm not alone in that.

[B]

Well said. I know for me like sometimes I have this process at the beginning of the year, like I get really excited about my goals and I start scheduling, like, trips about professional and business development. And then I'll get like three or four months in and I get pissed off my AT because I haven't had a damn vacation. And I'm like, professional business development. But every time I go and I show up, I'm like, infused with that energy and I'm like, that's why I went. I needed to go. And I know for me, like, you know, going as a presenter, like, it was like awesome. You know, we're gonna support Ernesto and get to see some faces that we've connected with but haven't seen before. And I was really excited about that. But, you know, I walked away with like, holy cow. All the presenters were amazing. The energy was amazing. The connections. I spoke a lot with Michael, I spoke a lot with Carinola, you know, and I took so much away from myself, you know, and I'm excited to, you know, hop on the energy train again. And it was just really awesome. And it was community based for sure.

[C]

And we were all celebrating each other. You know, it's like, you have an idea. Oh, my gosh, that's great. How can I support you? Support you, support you. You know, it's amazing, right?

[B]

Helping everyone level up. Kate, what were your.

[D]

Yeah, it was just an incredibly powerful experience just to go and connect with so many people. And these connections are deep connections that'll last a lifetime. And to see everybody shining in a different way and just showing up as themselves, not worried about anybody judging them, just being real down to earth, letting their personalities shine, it was just. It was awesome. Really, really awesome. And I can't wait for May 2020. Ernesto, tell us a little bit more about what. What listeners can expect with the May 2020 conference.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. So it's going to be next year in South Florida, Fort Lauderdale. Yeah, exactly. So I've been since the Kauai retreat and the natural typical psychotherapist, I've been having conversations with folks who've attended and also folks who. Clinicians who want to see more, who saw on social media what we were doing. Right. And so we're just gonna up the ante. We're just gonna give more content that would help you create systems that would not have you work so hard on your business, but letting your business work for you. Right? We're gonna take it.

[D]

That's your words.

[B]

I call that my business porn. That makes me so excited. Speak systems to me. Speak it to me.

[C]

Right? Because the thing is, I know for a fact, even with Kat Family therapy, I developed A system where all of the clinicians can run the business on their own. And all I do is I promote that and harness that gift. Right? And me stepping back and many of the folks who I interviewed really want that type of approach to the summit. The other thing is I've noticed that the top two, the top two topic that people want to talk about is money and again, system. Right? Those are the top two, money and systems. And so we have landed an incredible keynote speaker. The writer of Profit first and Clockwork, Mike Michalowicz.

[B]

So exciting.

[C]

This, I mean, and this was the fault of Kate and Kate when I was. Because I was kind of like, you know, can you give me some information about people who would want to present? And they were like, oh, what about Mike Michalowitz? I'm like, whoa, that's awesome.

[D]

As we're standing beachside looking at all the possibilities over the ocean and we're.

[C]

Like, yeah, that was a high bar to get. And so next thing you know, two days later I'm on the phone with their coordinators and I'm signing, I'm signing him to be on the summit. So basically it's just the energy. My plan is the energy is gonna be on a higher level. The other thing is that we are going to have presenters take their presentation to a whole new level. We talk about systems, right? Marketing obviously is going to always be something that very popular, but taking it there. The other piece is that I'm inviting someone like Talia and d' Angela and Jack, who all work for me under CAB family therapy. But I also want to highlight their own process as a pre licensed clinician becoming an amazing human being, thus becoming an amazing entrepreneur. Right. And so it's a mixture of both worlds of all levels where we're at and then just having fun. And also it's going to be held at the Bahia Mar at Fort Lauderdale, situated on the beautiful coast of South Florida in Fort Lauderdale. And their food.

[E]

Oh yes.

[C]

Oh my gosh. So Italian, that whole area. I've almost went to different restaurants and I featured their food and also the food that we're gonna have at the conference that's being served. Dinner and lunch will be freaking amazing. And you know how I am with food, right?

[D]

Yes, you do. If anybody needs restaurant recommendations, I'm your girl.

[C]

There you go. So that's next year. Please join us. It's going to be a lot of fun. And the Bells, the Bells was a big hit, you guys.

[D]

That was not to self.

[B]

We're bringing them again.

[C]

Yes, Good.

[D]

We will bring the bells.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So we'll put it on the show notes page. But where can people go ahead and register and solidify their spot?

[C]

You can go to cavacademy.com and it's in one of the drop down feature there, so you can just register at this point. We've got amazing sponsors that is really providing the space for us. And so, and I'm so proud to say that the private practice startup and Kate and Katie, they definitely are one of the feature feature promoters and sponsors for this event. So you are going to hear me say their name over and over and over again on that day. And a year going through this whole process of marketing.

[B]

Awesome. So I mean, I personally and Kate and I want to personally invite you, whether you're right in our backyard or you're near and far away, maybe in even a different country would love to see you. And you know, if you're struggling with like, you just don't feel like you fit in. Like you need a place really to express your truest, you know, self expression in the therapy room. And as a therapist, we definitely want to, to invite you to join us. You know, if you have great ideas and people are poo pooing them, then you need to be at the conference. We really want to help and support you. And you know, as you were talking about the whole conversation, we were talking about Mike Michalowicz. It was this like two minute, quick conversation. And you know, what Ernesto has really created with the summit is really just supporting people to level up. And I remember you almost had that maybe imposter syndrome going on and you had a conflict. And we just kind of talked through it and worked through it and suggested you did and told you that Mike was going to say yes anyway and just go for it. And then you're like, boom, he's scheduled. And it was just like, I don't know, I get so excited about that stuff. Like when other people win in your space and it's not you, it's almost like you won. That's this summit. So I'm not gonna say anymore. Be there or have fomo.

[E]

Not my fault.

[B]

I told you.

[C]

Yeah. And one thing that I want people to understand is that, and Tali and I talk about this a lot, the imposter syndrome. The imposter syndrome sometimes stays longer, but for me, because I struggle with ADHD and attention, it comes to visit me a few seconds and the next thing you know, if I have an idea, I'm gonna go for it. And many not your typical psychotherapists are like that and they want to be celebrated. So I had Mike Michalowicz come in. His name came up. My imposter syndrome came up. And then I was like, oh, my gosh, it's possible to get him. Two days later, I'm booking him. And you can do the same thing if you are listening to this podcast.

[B]

So, guys, we want to go ahead. And I just. I'm noticing because obviously we're on video too. So Talia's shirt. I love your shirt. It says setting boundaries. Like it's my job. I love that. Do you wear that to session?

[E]

I do and I. I wear it to session. And I'm actually. I sell them. I sell that and I sell mugs on my website. So that's my e commerce business. Swag for therapy.

[B]

What is. What is that website? Go ahead, tell us.

[E]

So you can go to therapywithtalia.com shop and there are mugs and shirts on there and it's constantly growing and I'm open to submissions, but this is probably my best selling T shirt.

[D]

I love it.

[B]

It's so fun. I love it.

[D]

Okay, so there you go.

[B]

Not your typical psychotherapist. Awesome, guys. We hope you guys really enjoyed this podcast today. Obviously it was more of an exploration and journey, and we really hoped. We kind of touched some of you who really just connect with this and really feel called to join us and really be part of the movement that Ernesto has created. And we love seeing faces that we've just seen as names before or faces online. So we really look forward to connecting with you guys in May 2020, if not sooner, because there's always possibility for that. But as always, we wanted to say, oh, I forgot our Startup Nation superhero shout out. And our next. When I get moved by things, I just forget everything else.

[E]

Like, words are hard.

[B]

There's me, there's authentically me. Slow your roll.

[D]

Slow your roll. Let's take a moment to do our Startup Nation superhero shout out, which is from Elizabeth Sump, and she says this podcast is an amazing resource for clinicians. Kate and Kati are fun and enlightening while providing a wealth of information. We'll definitely continue listening.

[B]

Thank you.

[D]

Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing your positive feedback. We're so helpful that the podcast is helpful for you because that's why we do this podcast to begin with. So if you're enjoying the podcast, if you're loving the topics, it's always great to get that feedback from you guys and it just keeps us inspired. To keep going. And if there's a topic that you haven't heard yet that you want to hear, definitely let us know. Email us that. Or if you think you'd be a great guest, email us that too. And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review because that's how we help to get the message out to the rest of the people who haven't heard it yet.

[B]

And so next time we're going to have Kurt Widhelm and Katie Vanroy. So we're to going to have Katie try Katie three, three times. Katie on the next podcast we're gonna have another fun podcast where we're gonna talk about the modern therapist survival guide for life beyond the couch. So join us next time for that. And as always, Startup Nation, thank you for allowing us to inspire you. From startup to mastery. Have an amazing, awesome and inspired day. Take care everybody.

[E]

Next time.

[D]

Thanks for joining us on the Private Practice Startup. Visit the private practices startup.com for awesome resources, free trainings, attorney approved private practice paperwork and so much more. Sam.