How can we learn from past experiences to improve future practices?

You may not know this but LGBTQ-focused group practices are a fairly recent development in our field. Jeff Levy recounts his journey from co-founding Live Oak, in Chicago, to his current solo private practice with a focus on virtual therapy and consultations. He and Sarah discuss the evolution of group practices, market shifts post-COVID, and the challenges of maintaining a practice including capital investment, balancing client and staff needs, and transparency in financial operations.

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Group Practice (R)evolution 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.

Podcast episodes are available for free in this feed for a limited time. If you want to hear more episodes like this one and access Sarah’s “why do you stay?” interview template…

Join other leaders in the Group Practice (R)evolution!

Available episodes include:

• Sustainable Solutions for Staff Retention and Satisfaction with Jennifer Froemel

• Creating Emotional Safety, Belonging, and Buy-In With Your Staff with Mirjam Quinn

Regular podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. So visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on “have a coupon” and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year!

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About Our Guest:

Jeff Levy, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with over 30 years of experience. For the past six years, he has maintained a private practice, where he offers psychotherapy, consultation, and training to fellow clinicians. Prior to that, he spent over 14 years as co-founder and CEO of Live Oak, Inc., a group practice in Chicago. Jeff began his career as a recreation therapist working with youth in foster care and residential settings—early work that shaped his enduring commitment to trauma-informed, LGBTQIA+ affirmative, and relational care.

jrlevymsw@gmail.com

www.jeffreylevylcsw.com

How can we improve communication between practice owners and employees?

Sthefany Alviar reveals insights from the contrast between her current role at Mirjam Quinn and Associates and a previous, less supportive private practice. She and Sarah explore issues such as financial transparency, the challenges of transitioning from salaried to contractual pay, and the importance of clear administrative support. Sthefany emphasizes the value of aligning personal values with those of the practice, noting how Miriam's openness about financials and future plans contributes to a positive workplace culture.

***

Group Practice (R)evolution 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.

Podcast episodes are available for free in this feed for a limited time. If you want to hear more episodes like this one and access Sarah’s “why do you stay?” interview template…

Join other leaders in the Group Practice (R)evolution!

Regular podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST. So visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on “have a coupon” and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year!

Available episodes include:

• The Ideals of Therapy vs the Limitations of Capitalism with Jeff Levy

• Sustainable Solutions for Staff Retention and Satisfaction with Jennifer Froemel

• Creating Emotional Safety, Belonging, and Buy-In With Your Staff with Mirjam Quinn

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About Our Guest:

Dr. Sthefany Alviar earned her doctorate from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA in 2020 and now serves as a postdoctoral fellow at Mirjam Quinn and Associates (MQA), a thriving private practice. With an integrative approach rooted in attachment and relational frameworks, she provides virtual therapy for clients of all ages. Dr. Alviar specializes in supporting individuals navigating complex trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and behavioral difficulties. Her expertise extends to parent-child dynamics (PCIT), performance anxiety, cultural identity exploration, LGBTQ+ concerns, and neurodivergent experiences.

salviar@mqatherapy.com

IG: @mirjamquinnandassociates

Practice Website: https://mirjamquinnandassociates.com/sthefany-alviar/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sthefany-alviar-psyd-ms-7b9530113

As promised, here’s the fantastic part two of my conversation with Tamila Gresham. We delve into the foundational pieces of accountability: knowledge, nuance, relationship, and vulnerability.

You know what to do if you haven’t met her yet: hit play on part one. Tamilia is co-founder of Harmonize, a consulting firm that helps organizations bridge the gap between values, vision, and impact. She’s a lifelong educator with formal education in law, sociology, and philosophy. Tamila centers justice and heart-work in her efforts to change organizations and the world.

GUEST BIO

Tamila Gresham is a co-founder of Harmonize, a consulting firm helping organizations bridge the gap between values, vision, and impact. She's a life-long educator, with formal education in law, sociology, & philosophy. She centers justice and heart work in her efforts to change organizations to change the world.

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Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR 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. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST.

Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on “have a coupon” and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year!

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let’s be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

Some advice for therapists and those in adjacent healing professions: This (gestures wildly at everything) is not the time to close ranks. We’re being called to proceed with less ego and more accountability. Lately, however, anger (much of it warranted) and impatience have turned accountability into more of a cudgel than the intended call-in.

Tamila Gresham is here to reconnect us to core strategies that have always worked but may have gotten away from us in the current social climate (see: anger and impatience). Tamila is co-founder of Harmonize, a consulting firm that helps organizations bridge the gap between values, vision, and impact. Tamila centers justice and heart-work in her efforts to change organizations and the world. She’s our people, and you’re gonna love her as much as I do.

Tamila Gresham is a co-founder of Harmonize, a consulting firm helping organizations bridge the gap between values, vision, and impact. She's a life-long educator, with formal education in law, sociology, & philosophy. She centers justice and heart work in her efforts to change organizations to change the world.

***

Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR 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. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST.

Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on “have a coupon” and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year!

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let’s be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

David Allen is quietly and thoroughly advancing the notion of masculinity into a new era. He’s a tattoo artist working with post-mastectomy clients in Chicago. David is also a father who, despite his childhood wounds, has devoted himself to raising emotionally intelligent kids. It’s a path informed by his work with cancer patients, his ancestral lineage, and his commitment to therapy.

If you missed the first half of our conversation, go back one episode where you’ll learn about David’s artistry and quest for self-awareness.

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!

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let’s be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

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

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!

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let’s be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

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 by thousands of mental health operators and clinicians each week.

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!

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Listener Feedback 2025

Help me to get to know you better and enter a massive giveaway!

Share your feedback & enter to win

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let’s be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

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 health organizations to help them succeed clinically and commercially. He’s parlayed his experiences at McKinsey and two unicorn startups to help leaders scale mental health innovations.

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 by thousands of mental health operators and clinicians each week.

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!

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Listener Feedback 2025

Help me to get to know you better and enter a massive giveaway!

Share your feedback & enter to win

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch

Join our Patreon for gifts & perks

Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers

Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

***

Let’s be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website

Facebook @headheartbiztherapy

Instagram @headheartbiztherapy