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Tired of the "post and disappear" cycle of traditional social media? I talk in this video about why I think YouTube is the most sustainable way to grow an aligned therapy practice and connect with the right clients.

I share my journey of moving beyond short-form platforms to build a sustainable presence on YouTube, covering the unique benefits for mental health professionals, including:

• Why YouTube’s search power (and connection to Google) gives you huge visibility
• How long-form content helps clients feel connected before they even meet you
• Why YouTube is a slower burn, but far more sustainable than Instagram
• How to use YouTube as part of a wider ecosystem (website, directories, podcasts, social media)
• The role of AI, search, and community in growing your reach
• How YouTube can lead to multiple income streams (clients, talks, mentoring, collaborations)
• The personal and professional growth that comes with creating a channel and posting consistently
• What I wish I’d known before starting (including unpredictability, consistency, and visibility)

More than half of my clients now come through YouTube and, more importantly, it’s enabled me to build a practice that feels aligned and sustainable.

🌐 Website: (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk)

If you find this video helpful, please do LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE for more content like this. It really helps the channel and means a lot, thank you!

🎯 1:1 Mentoring & Consultancy

Thinking about changing career to become a therapist? Already qualified and wanting to start up a private therapy practice? In private practice and looking to grow? Or maybe you're curious about sharing your voice on YouTube? I offer supportive, one-to-one mentoring on career change and becoming a therapist, starting and building a private practice, and creating meaningful content on YouTube. All the details are on my website: (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk)

✅ If anything in this video resonates with you or brings up something you'd like to explore further and you're thinking about therapy, I'd love to hear from you. You're very welcome to get in touch with me via my website (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk) to find out more or to arrange an initial conversation.

📖 My book *Finding a Balanced Connection* is available on Amazon here:
https://mybook.to/Z8i2

**My FREE personal development course 'Life Unlimited: 10 Steps to Real Change' is now available on this channel in a playlist on the homepage.**
Whether you're looking to move through anxiety, stress, depression, chronic anger, addictive behaviour, co-dependency, narcissism, low self-esteem/confidence, relationship problems, feeling stuck, lost or lacking in purpose – or simply want to experience more happiness, contentment and fulfilment in your life – this free course is carefully designed to help you do that.

'Life Unlimited' Course testimonials include:

“John-Paul’s course Life Unlimited more than lives up to its promise as a practical and accessible guide to making meaningful, positive changes in your life. He takes you on a clear path towards self-awareness and self-acceptance, helping you to set healthy boundaries in your relationships with others.”
and
“The course is packed with valuable content, yet John-Paul’s warm, non-judgemental style makes it feel more as if a friend is sharing some wonderful wisdom. 100% recommend.”

Support the show

If there’s anything else you’d like to know about John-Paul and how he might be able to help you, please do contact him via his website www.thistrustedplace.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

When we think about narcissism, our attention is often drawn to the more extreme end of the spectrum - grandiose narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder. But what if there is also a more ordinary, everyday form of narcissism that many of us experience without even realising it?

In this video, I explore the idea that our natural drive for survival and status can lead us to become self-centred in ways that affect both ourselves and our relationships. Rather than focusing solely on identifying narcissism in other people, I also consider the role of empathy, self-awareness and our capacity to recognise narcissistic traits within ourselves.

I also introduce a simple exercise that may help you reflect on the depth of your own empathy and whether there are times when curiosity about others gives way to judgement or condemnation. My hope is that this offers a more balanced and compassionate way of thinking about narcissism that helps us better understand ourselves as well as the people around us.

If you find this video helpful, please do LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE for more content like this. It really helps the channel and means a lot, thank you!

✅ If anything in this video resonates with you or brings up something you'd like to explore further and you're thinking about therapy, I'd love to hear from you. You're very welcome to get in touch with me via my website (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk) to find out more or to arrange an initial conversation.

📖 My book *Finding a Balanced Connection* is available on Amazon here:
https://mybook.to/Z8i2

**My FREE personal development course 'Life Unlimited: 10 Steps to Real Change' is now available on this channel in a playlist on the homepage.**
Whether you're looking to move through anxiety, stress, depression, chronic anger, addictive behaviour, co-dependency, narcissism, low self-esteem/confidence, relationship problems, feeling stuck, lost or lacking in purpose – or simply want to experience more happiness, contentment and fulfilment in your life – this free course is carefully designed to help you do that.

'Life Unlimited' Course testimonials include:

“John-Paul’s course Life Unlimited more than lives up to its promise as a practical and accessible guide to making meaningful, positive changes in your life. He takes you on a clear path towards self-awareness and self-acceptance, helping you to set healthy boundaries in your relationships with others.”
and
“The course is packed with valuable content, yet John-Paul’s warm, non-judgemental style makes it feel more as if a friend is sharing some wonderful wisdom. 100% recommend.”

Support the show

If there’s anything else you’d like to know about John-Paul and how he might be able to help you, please do contact him via his website www.thistrustedplace.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

Can therapists develop romantic feelings for their clients?

It's a question that many people wonder about but one that is rarely discussed openly. In this video, I explore the reality of romantic attraction in the therapy room, why it can happen, why it matters, and what ethical responsibilities therapists have if these feelings arise.

I also discuss concepts such as erotic transference, supervision, professional boundaries, and why feelings themselves are very different from actions.

This is an honest conversation about a complex and often misunderstood aspect of therapy, viewed through both a human and professional lens.

If you're a therapist, trainee therapist, current therapy client, or simply curious about what really happens behind the scenes in therapy, I hope you'll find something useful here.

🎯 1:1 Mentoring & Consultancy

Thinking about changing career to become a therapist? Already qualified and wanting to start up a private therapy practice? In private practice and looking to grow? Or maybe you're curious about sharing your voice on YouTube? I offer supportive, one-to-one mentoring on career change and becoming a therapist, starting and building a private practice, and creating meaningful content on YouTube. All the details are on my website: (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk)

✅ If you're thinking about exploring therapy generally, I'd love to hear from you and you're very welcome to get in touch with me via my website (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk) to find out more or to arrange an initial conversation.

🎁 My FREE personal development course 'Life Unlimited: 10 Steps to Real Change' is now available on this channel in a playlist on the homepage.

Whether you're looking to move through anxiety, stress, depression, chronic anger, addictive behaviour, co-dependency, narcissism, low self-esteem/confidence, relationship problems, feeling stuck, lost or lacking in purpose – or simply want to experience more happiness, contentment and fulfilment in your life – this course is carefully designed to help you do just that.

‘Life Unlimited’ Course testimonials include:
"John-Paul's course Life Unlimited more than lives up to its promise as a practical and accessible guide to making meaningful, positive changes in your life. He takes you on a clear path towards self-awareness and self-acceptance, helping you to set healthy boundaries in your relationships with others."
"The course is packed with valuable content, yet John-Paul's warm, non-judgemental style makes it feel more as if a friend is sharing some wonderful wisdom. 100% recommend."

Support the show

If there’s anything else you’d like to know about John-Paul and how he might be able to help you, please do contact him via his website www.thistrustedplace.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

30 years ago, a shocking event on a London tube train changed the way I think about human connection and trauma.

In this video, I share a story about a young man who experienced a sudden act of violence and chose a response that completely overrode the natural "fight, flight, or freeze" instinct. As a therapist, I look back on this moment to explore how we can integrate difficult experiences without letting them harden us or dictate how we see humanity.

I look at:

- The natural physiological trauma response.
- How trauma can "harden" us and lead to social disconnection.
- The power of choosing connection over fear.
- Discerning between safe and dangerous individuals without generalising.

Question for you: Has a stranger ever shown you a different way to live or changed your perspective through a single act? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments.

🎯 1:1 Mentoring & Consultancy

Thinking about changing career to become a therapist? Already qualified and wanting to start up a private therapy practice? In private practice and looking to grow? Or maybe you're curious about sharing your voice on YouTube? I offer supportive, one-to-one mentoring on career change and becoming a therapist, starting and building a private practice, and creating meaningful content on YouTube. All the details are on my website: (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk)

✅ If you're thinking about exploring therapy generally, I’d love to hear from you and you’re very welcome to get in touch with me via my website (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk) to find out more or to arrange an initial conversation.

🎁 My FREE personal development course 'Life Unlimited: 10 Steps to Real Change' is now available on this channel in a playlist on the homepage.

Whether you’re looking to move through anxiety, stress, depression, chronic anger, addictive behaviour, co-dependency, narcissism, low self-esteem/confidence, relationship problems, feeling stuck, lost or lacking in purpose – or simply want to experience more happiness, contentment and fulfilment in your life – this course is carefully designed to help you do just that.

Support the show

If there’s anything else you’d like to know about John-Paul and how he might be able to help you, please do contact him via his website www.thistrustedplace.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

Four years after my first "Day in the Life" video, I’m revisiting what a typical day looks like as a private practice therapist. In this video, I share the habits, routines, and boundaries that have helped me build a sustainable career over the last 15 years.

In this video, I revisit my “day in the life of a therapist”, not as someone newly qualified, but years into building a private practice.

What does the work actually feel like now?
What’s become easier… and what still matters just as much?

I take you through a typical day, from my morning regulation routine to supervision, client sessions, and the reality of administration, including some of the things I wish I’d known when I first qualified. We also look at how the profession is changing, including the rise of online therapy and using platforms like YouTube to reach a global audience.

Along the way, I share some of the things I wish I’d known earlier, especially if you’re thinking about becoming a therapist, currently in training, or finding your way in the early stages of your career.

How to design your therapy room video link: https://youtu.be/pAYPNF_7PiU

🎯 1:1 Mentoring & Consultancy

Thinking about changing career to become a therapist? Already qualified and wanting to start up a private therapy practice? In private practice and looking to grow? Or maybe you're curious about sharing your voice on YouTube? I offer supportive, one-to-one mentoring on career change and becoming a therapist, starting and building a private practice, and creating meaningful content on YouTube. All the details are on my website: (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk)

✅ If you're thinking about exploring therapy generally, I’d love to hear from you and you’re very welcome to get in touch with me via my website (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk) to find out more or to arrange an initial conversation.

**📹 More videos just like this:**
(https://youtu.be/bv5sDWM-7TI)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0FT3jEKjXI)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j84cmhWOFN0)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUCQ481nYP0)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVnUo3BFoq8)

🎁 My FREE personal development course 'Life Unlimited: 10 Steps to Real Change' is now available on this channel in a playlist on the homepage.

Whether you’re looking to move through anxiety, stress, depression, chronic anger, addictive behaviour, co-dependency, narcissism, low self-esteem/confidence, relationship problems, feeling stuck, lost or lacking in purpose – or simply want to experience more happiness, contentment and fulfilment in your life – this course is carefully designed to help you do just that.

Support the show

If there’s anything else you’d like to know about John-Paul and how he might be able to help you, please do contact him via his website www.thistrustedplace.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever had the feeling that your life looks right on the outside… but doesn’t quite feel right on the inside?

Whether it’s your career, your relationships, or your identity, many of us reach a point where something feels off, like we’ve been living a version of ourselves that works… but isn’t really us.

In this video, I explore the idea of the “true self” and the “false self”, not as something fake, but as a version of you that developed to survive, succeed, and belong.

I talk about why this can come up in so many areas of life:
– Changing career
– Becoming a therapist
– Being in therapy
– Sexuality, indentity and coming out

At the heart of it, this is about the gap between who you really are… and who you’ve learned to be.

I talk about:
– Why we develop a “performative” self (fear and status)
– The emotional cost of living out of alignment
– How this shows up in career and identity
– Reconnecting with who you really are
– Why finding the right people matters

✅ If you're thinking about exploring therapy generally, I’d love to hear from you and you’re very welcome to get in touch with me via my website (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk) to find out more or to arrange an initial conversation.

🎯 1:1 Mentoring & Consultancy

Thinking about changing career to become a therapist? Already qualified and wanting to start up a private therapy practice? In private practice and looking to grow? Or maybe you're curious about sharing your voice on YouTube? I offer supportive, one-to-one mentoring on career change and becoming a therapist, starting and building a private practice, and creating meaningful content on YouTube. All the details are on my website: (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk)

🎁 My FREE personal development course 'Life Unlimited: 10 Steps to Real Change' is now available on this channel in a playlist on the homepage.

Whether you’re looking to move through anxiety, stress, depression, chronic anger, addictive behaviour, co-dependency, narcissism, low self-esteem/confidence, relationship problems, feeling stuck, lost or lacking in purpose – or simply want to experience more happiness, contentment and fulfilment in your life – this course is carefully designed to help you do just that.

‘Life Unlimited’ Course testimonials include:

"John-Paul's course Life Unlimited more than lives up to its promise as a practical and accessible guide to making meaningful, positive changes in your life. He takes you on a clear path towards self-awareness and self-acceptance, helping you to set healthy boundaries in your relationships with others."
"The course is packed with valuable content, yet John-Paul's warm, non-judgemental style makes it feel more as if a friend is sharing some wonderful wisdom. 100% recommend."

#Psychotherapy #CareerChange #TrueSelf #Authenticity #Bisexuality #MentalHealth #JohnPaulDavies #PersonalGrowth

Support the show

If there’s anything else you’d like to know about John-Paul and how he might be able to help you, please do contact him via his website www.thistrustedplace.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

Hi, I’m John-Paul, and a warm welcome back to the channel. Today’s conversation is an important and often emotional one - what happens when sexual identity is disclosed within a relationship, particularly when disclosure comes after the relationship has already been established and it doesn't go well. For many people, it can feel like a shock, or even a betrayal, but it can also be the beginning of something more integrated, and potentially more connected.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Joshua Gebhart, a licensed marriage and family therapist who specialises in working with mixed-orientation couples, particularly where one partner identifies as gay or bisexual within a previously 'heterosexual' relationship.

We explore:
• Why disclosure can feel so destabilising
• The difference between identity and behaviour
• What happens when sexuality hasn’t been fully understood or expressed
• The role of shame, secrecy, and compartmentalisation
• How couples move through crisis into something more stable
• Why “stay together or break up” is often the wrong question
• What actually helps relationships survive, or end well

If you or someone you know is navigating this, I hope this offers some clarity and reassurance, that there are options, and that you’re not alone in it.

✅ If you're thinking about exploring therapy generally, I’d love to hear from you and you’re very welcome to get in touch with me via my website (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk) to find out more or to arrange an initial conversation.

🎯 1:1 Mentoring & Consultancy

Thinking about changing career to become a therapist? Already qualified and wanting to start up a private therapy practice? In private practice and looking to grow? Or maybe you're curious about sharing your voice on YouTube? I offer supportive, one-to-one mentoring on career change and becoming a therapist, starting and building a private practice, and creating meaningful content on YouTube. All the details are on my website: (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk)

🎁 My FREE personal development course 'Life Unlimited: 10 Steps to Real Change' is now available on this channel in a playlist on the homepage.

Whether you’re looking to move through anxiety, stress, depression, chronic anger, addictive behaviour, co-dependency, narcissism, low self-esteem/confidence, relationship problems, feeling stuck, lost or lacking in purpose – or simply want to experience more happiness, contentment and fulfilment in your life – this course is carefully designed to help you do just that.

‘Life Unlimited’ Course testimonials include:

"John-Paul's course Life Unlimited more than lives up to its promise as a practical and accessible guide to making meaningful, positive changes in your life. He takes you on a clear path towards self-awareness and self-acceptance, helping you to set healthy boundaries in your relationships with others."

"The course is packed with valuable content, yet John-Paul's warm, non-judgemental style makes it feel more as if a friend is sharing some wonderful wisdom. 100% recommend."

If anything in this video resonates with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, I read every one.

Support the show

If there’s anything else you’d like to know about John-Paul and how he might be able to help you, please do contact him via his website www.thistrustedplace.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

Hi, I’m John-Paul Davies and welcome back to the channel.

In this conversation, I’m joined by Dr Henry Aughterson (currently working as a doctor and training to become a therapist at Re-Vision in London) to explore what it’s really like to train as a therapist, especially when coming from a medical background.

We talk about the differences between the medical model and psychotherapy, the depth and challenge of therapy training, and the personal journey that often sits underneath the decision to become a therapist.

In this video, we explore:
• Moving from medicine into psychotherapy
• The limitations of the medical model in addressing mental health
• What therapy training is actually like (and how intense it can be)
• The balance between intellect and emotion in becoming a therapist
• Social prescribing and the role of community in wellbeing
• Building an authentic presence on social media as a therapist
• Advice for anyone thinking about training

Henry also shares openly about his own experiences of mental health, identity, and navigating uncertainty, something many people considering this path will relate to.

🎯 1:1 Mentoring & Consultancy
Thinking about changing career to become a therapist? Already qualified and wanting to start up a private therapy practice? In private practice and looking to grow? Or maybe you're curious about sharing your voice on YouTube? I offer supportive, one-to-one mentoring on career change and becoming a therapist, starting and building a private practice, and creating meaningful content on YouTube. All the details are on my website: (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk)

✅ If you're thinking about exploring therapy generally, I’d love to hear from you and you’re very welcome to get in touch with me via my website (https://www.thistrustedplace.co.uk) to find out more or to arrange an initial conversation.

🎁 My FREE personal development course 'Life Unlimited: 10 Steps to Real Change' is now available on this channel in a playlist on the homepage.
Whether you’re looking to move through anxiety, stress, depression, chronic anger, addictive behaviour, co-dependency, narcissism, low self-esteem/confidence, relationship problems, feeling stuck, lost or lacking in purpose – or simply want to experience more happiness, contentment and fulfilment in your life – this course is carefully designed to help you do just that.

📹 More videos like this:
Why I Became a Therapist (From Law to Therapy)
(https://www.youtube.com/...)
A Day in the Life of a Therapist
(https://www.youtube.com/...)
5 Things I Love About Being a Therapist
(https://www.youtube.com/...)

If anything in this video has touched something for you, or you're considering your own path into therapy, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, I read them all.

And if you’d like to follow Henry’s journey, I’ll include his Instagram below.
https://www.instagram.com/doctor_mentalhealth?igsh=MXdjMng0MTB0eTE1Zg==

Support the show

If there’s anything else you’d like to know about John-Paul and how he might be able to help you, please do contact him via his website www.thistrustedplace.co.uk